THE next arrival at Cheddleton Station is set to be a huge steel building courtesy of the Sainsbury’s chiefs building a new store in Leek town centre.
The 90-ft-long metal structure stood on land where the supermarket giant is building its new superstore at Churnet Works.
It is now set to be rebuilt at Cheddleton Station to house the railway’s collection of historic steam locamotives.
Sainsbury’s donated the building following an approach from a member of the heritage railway’s charitable arm, the North Staffordshire Railway Company.
The member had spotted the building’s potential for storage use and it has now been dismantled and transported to the station, where it is to be rebuilt.
Churnet Valley Railway’s operating director Gregory Wilson told Your Leek Paper the building will improve the station’s storage capabilities.
He said: “This will be a real benefit to the railway. When we have raised enough money to rebuild it, we will be able to extend our loco shed so that the engines will stand under cover rather than out in the open as at present.
“Without the gift of the building by Sainsbury’s, an extension like this would be completely beyond our resources, so we are very grateful for their support.” Sainsbury’s project manager Nick Alston said: “We are only too pleased to be able to support a local organisation in this manner and it’s good to see the building re-used rather than scrapped.
“Sainsbury’s takes its role in the community very seriously and we are delighted to be able to have a positive impact at such an early stage of the development.
“We look forward to opening the store, when there will be more opportunities to support local groups, charities and organisations in Leek.” Sainsbury’s new store is accompanied by a major regeneration package for the Churnet Works site, including the 40,000sq ft store, a petrol station, 92 homes, a public park and industrial units.
It is thought up to 600 jobs will be created as part of the investment.
