Surveyors have said a basic refurbishment of the rundown former Saltash Railway Station building would cost £340,000.

The surveyors, Surveying Devon and Cornwall, carried out an inspection with a view to a simple refurbishment being implemented.

This would provide facilities including toilets, a waiting room and space for a commercial partner to operate a cafe.

The project team fear that this sum could be too high as the total budget for revamping the building is set at around £500,000. In the light of this, the team is looking to drive costs down.

The team has already been offered a free asbestos survey by a local company, saving £1,500,

Discussions have taken place with the Railway Heritage Trust which has provisionally offered to fund one fifth of the built heritage elements for those parts of the building that are restored for railway use. This will be subject to a final decision on the design but would be a ‘welcome funding boost’ said the project team.

Funding already in place has come from Cornwall Council, Saltash s106 and the Architectural Heritage Fund, totalling £220,500.

The project team are planning to complete the refurbishment by October 2018.