Mytholmroyd station building which underwent 20-year transformation shortlisted for national award

Now called The Local Motive, the former station building officially opened as a community arts and business hub in January – two decades after initial plans began.

The 19th century building is now rented out by tenants in its studios and offices, and its ground floor spaces are used for community meetings and functions.

Now, trustees of the building have been informed that The Local Motive has been shortlisted for a National Railway Heritage Award for Interior Conservation.

The awards have been running since 1979 and encourage the re-use, restoration and upkeep of railway and tramway buildings and structures.

Trustees and local residents Sue and Geoff Mitchell, who founded the Mytholmroyd project, will attend the awards ceremony, which will take place in London in December.

They said: “We are hopeful of further recognition — but appreciate the other fantastic work that station volunteers do nationally to enhance their local railway station.”

The station building opened in 1874 and is grade II listed. The building was closed in 1984 and neglected until its reopening this year.

Despite plans to reopen and reuse the building starting in 2006, the project faced a number of challenges over the years, including flooding in 2015 and the Covid pandemic in 2020.