After months of wrangling between owners and residents objecting to a new engine shed for the Hayling Seaside Railway it seems the row could be at an end. Havant Borough councillors are reported to be giving the green light for plans of a new depot at Eastoke Corner to go ahead.
Currently located behind Funland Amusements the popular Hayling attraction has been on borrowed time since the owners of the funfair gave the railway a time scale to find a new base. Having gone through a number of scenarios with protests from locals who consider the building to be an eyesore the new base at Eastoke Corner will also feature an extended track and could become a heritage centre.
Noise and fumes have been other concerns as well as it being a blight on Haylings seafront landscape. A reduction in property prices for homes close by has also been an issue raised.
The final decision will be made tomorrow after the planning committee found the new engine shed to be: appropriate to the character of Beachlands as a tourist destination hub
