TWO historic buildings in the centre of Cirencester will be sold off after renovation plans were deemed too expensive.

The crumbling Old Station and the Old Memorial Cottages will both be sold by Cotswold District Council following failed plans to fully restore both buildings. 

A council spokesperson said it had made the “tough decision” as it was unable to identify an affordable solution to bring both buildings back to life. 

The old train station is a grade II listed building and is located next to the Old Station car park off Tetbury Road.

It was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, opened in 1841 and was closed to passengers in April 1964.

Meanwhile, the nearby Old Memorial Cottages is located on the edge of the Sheep Street car park.

Earlier this year in April, the district council previously issued a call for interest from organisations who could take over and bring in the additional funding.

However, no potential partners had enough funding to restore the Old Station or the Memorial Cottage, CDC says. 

It comes after it was revealed in 2022 that proposals to renovate both sites could cost up to £1 million.

According to CDC, the Old Station has been used for storage for around 30 years and needs a lot of repairs to bring it back into use.

Councillors voted in favour of selling the buildings at a CDC meeting on Wednesday, July 31.

District council leader Mike Evemy said CDC had “explored explored every avenue” to restore both buildings.

Cllr Evemy said: “Whilst this is not the outcome we had hoped for, I am looking forward to seeing what the market holds for the future of these two assets. 

“Our ultimate aim needs to be to ensure the buildings have the necessary investment to restore and maintain them. 

“As a council we have explored every avenue to bring these buildings back to life and restore them, but unfortunately the cost is just too high.

"In our current financial position with our budgets under severe pressure, we just cannot afford the cost of renovating the buildings ourselves. 

“We have explored every avenue up to this point, including partnering with local charities and seeking local partners. 

“Unfortunately, we have not been able to find an alternative financially viable solution.” 

Any development of the Old Station Building will be governed by English Heritage and Planning guidelines due to its status as a listed building. 

The old train building was opened when the Cirencester branch line to Kemble was built by the Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway.

It was initially the terminus for the London to Bristol line before the Sapperton Tunnel was finished in 1845.

The building transferred into the CDC’s ownership in 1968.