Cambridge railway station pub’s roof needs ‘urgent’ repairs

A number of defects were found with the roof

A train station pub’s roof needs repairs as a “matter of urgency”. Cambridge’s railway station building dates back to 1845, when it was first built by Eastern Countries Railway.

The former ticket office is a part of the original building and was converted into the pub, known as The Old Ticket Office, in 2018. Greater Anglia, which owns the station building, has proposed to carry out roof repairs at the pub.

This includes flashing replacement, slate replacement where required, drainage improvements, leak prevention, and remedial work to walls where required. Timber repairs to roof members could also take place, as well as installation of a man safe to the roof.

In its application, Greater Anglia said the repairs are a “matter of urgency” in order to “address any progressive damage such as timber decay and mould to the existing structure”. A Greater Anglia spokesperson added: ““We have submitted for Listed Building Consent to carry out essential repairs to the Old Ticket Office pub at Cambridge railway station.

“These works will address areas of deterioration and are being progressed as a priority to protect the building and support the tenant. Subject to Listed Building Consent, we expect work to begin later this year and take around three months to complete. The pub will remain open during this time and we do not expect any impact on customers using the station.”

A survey on the roof via drone footage revealed a number of issues. The slate hipped roofs had a “number of significant defects”, while gutters were found to be “narrower than expected”.

It was also clear from drone footage that the gutters had “usual defects”, including debris, material fatigue, and a “lack of regular maintenance were visible”. Other defects were recognised from the roof, including vegetation growth and structural issues.

The applicant proposes to carry out a number of different repairs. This includes installing new coping stones, brickwork repairs, options to repoint internal brickwork joints, and other repairs.

In order to complete the work, a temporary scaffold would be set up outside the pub. The pub is still expected to open if the works are approved.

The applicant added: “The scaffold design process included how the scaffold would impact on the day-to-day operations of the station frontage and the Old Ticket Office public house, maintaining safe access and egress for customers, maintaining accessible access for persons with disabilities and emergency service access for the duration of these works.”