A popular visitor attraction has submitted plans for a £100,000 improvement in its facilities.
Managers at Kirklees Light Railway are seeking planning permission to extend the existing 16-seat cafe at Shelley station in order to accommodate up to 50 diners.
The company wants to improve toilets and build a workshop at the same location.
Plans submitted to Kirklees Council state that the tea room will be single storey and that the existing kiosk and marquees will be demolished.
In a document submitted to the council, the Clayton West-based management team outlined plans to boost annual visitor numbers from around 62,000 to 100,000.
It states: “The proposed development project seeks to improve the facilities at the KLR Shelley Station halt to include expansion of catering numbers and menu options together with improved WC provision and a new build multi-purpose workshop area located on the main platform replacing existing kiosks and marquees.
“The long term aims for the railway are to increase visitor numbers to 100,000 per annum, to provide potential for additional catering and management staffing levels and to maintain and improve the current success of an innovative and valuable Railway Tourism Centre within the Kirklees region.”
General manager Stuart Ross told the Examiner that the development represented an investment of around £100,000 and could create 10 part-time jobs.
“We are very conscious of how unspoilt that part of Shelley is and are keen to make sure the building doesn’t spoil the environment.”
He added: “We are quite excited about it as it is quite a big thing for us to do.”
Public consultation on the plans ends on September 20.
The 3.5-mile long light railway is owned by Stately-Albion, a family-owned company headed by railway enthusiast David Hurd, based in Newport, South Wales.
The railway runs from Clayton West via Cuckoos Nest and onto Skelmanthorpe and Shelley stations.
