Agreement Reached To Save Great Malvern Station Tea Room

[whole diary]

[Lee]

https://www.kidderminstershuttle.co.uk/news/regional/17552876.agreement-is-reached-to-save-great-malvern-stations-much-loved-tea-room/

The much-loved cafe at Great Malvern railway station, which faced closure, will remain open after its proprietor and Network Rail reached an agreement over rent.

The shadow of closure was hanging over Lady Foley's Tea Room when Network Rail, which owns the station, said that its rent would be increased by as much as 300 per cent.

Margaret Baddeley, who has run the cafe on the station's Platform One for the last 20 years, said that such a huge rent hike would make her business unviable.

[IndustryInsider]

Good to hear a compromise has been reached.  It would have been a big loss to see it go as it has become part of the character of the station.

[bobm]

Indeed - it is a real gem of a station.

[johnneyw]

That's a relief, I was chatting to someone there on a couple of occasions last year but at the time there was no sense of imminent crisis in what she was saying and I cannot remember if it was mentioned that rents were a factor in the demise of the flower shop next door (that was a shame).
As already mentioned, the station is real gem, from the station approach to the delightful metalwork on the canopy supports (some of which might benefit from a little attention in the next few years). Even the little kiosk on the main road by the station approach adds to the welcome.

I think I feel a day trip to Malvern coming on. RHS show in a month! 😀

[IndustryInsider]

Yes, it does now need a repaint!

[johnneyw]

Yes, it does now need a repaint!

I have no idea if there is a Friends of Malvern Station group who do such things or if it's the responsibility of the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)/NR^» (Network Rail - home page). I would not be all that surprised if the station has listed status.
It's definitely in the top three of my chart of small stations on NR but that may be for another thread.

[rogerw]

Good news. I have used the buffet on occasions. Perhaps someone at NR^» (Network Rail - home page) has seen the light and realised that some rent is better than no rent.  Use of buildings on stations on a low-rent basis is far better then leaving them empty.