Plans to turn railway station into toy museum approved

The red brick Port St Mary station was built in 1892 and replaced a wooden structure

Plans to convert a protected Victorian railway station on the Isle of Man into a toy museum and café have been approved.

Built in 1892, Port St Mary station was added to the island's list of registered buildings in November 2018.

Giving it a new use would "enable its continued maintenance and investment", the planning authority said.

The station still forms part of the island's heritage steam railway network but much of the building is now unused.

Under the plans, it would also house a model railway, a waiting area for steam train passengers and offices.

Chair of Port St Mary commissioners, Michelle Haywood said the local authority was "fully in favour of it".

"People like those smaller independently run attractions and I think there is a great potential," she added.

The station's protected status means any alterations to the building must be sympathetic to its character.

Planners agreed the proposals were "respectful to the railway and tourist theme of the site".

A proposal to convert a nearby goods shed into office space was rejected due to objections from several organisations.