THE condition setting out the installation of bird and bat boxes as part of the repairs to the Cambrian Heritage Railway building in Oswestry could be discharged.

On Tuesday, an application was submitted to Shropshire Council, which is also overseeing the repairs, to have condition seven of the original planning permission removed.

This, according to Shropshire Council planning officer Ruth Hitchen’s report from April this year, was for ecology.

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It said: “Prior to first occupation/use of the building, the makes, models and locations of bat and bird boxes shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

“A minimum of two external woodcrete bat boxes or integrated bat bricks, suitable for nursery or summer roosting for small crevice dwelling bat species.

“A minimum of six swift nesting boxes and a minimum of one artificial nest, of either integrated brick design or external box design, suitable for sparrows (32mm hole, terrace design).

“The boxes shall be sited at an appropriate height above the ground, with a clear flight path and where they will be unaffected by artificial lighting.

“Bat boxes should be erected on southerly aspects (south-west, south or south-east) and bird boxes should be erected on northerly or shaded east/west aspects.”

The report said that the swift bricks should be positioned out of direct sunlight; at the highest possible position in the buildings wall; in clusters of at least three; 50 to 100cm apart; not directly above windows; with a clear flightpath to the entrance, and north or east/west aspects preferred.

The application was submitted on Tuesday, September 3.

Permission to carry out work on repairing the Grade II-listed building was granted in July this year after Shropshire Council successfully received UK Shared Prosperity Fund money to complete much of the project.

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The building is currently under the stewardship of Cambrian Heritage Railways which provides services between the Oswald Road station and Weston Wharf for excited rail enthusiasts.

The work on the roof, damaged during storms in 2021, is to return the building to its former glories and then offer it out to rent for interested parties.

The building was left with cracked corbels at the roof because of the high winds and a number of conditions were included within the application.