Historic railway building saved

The Henderson Railway Station building, which has been saved from council plans to move it to another site. Picture / The Aucklander

Henderson's heritage railway station has survived a plan to shunt it off the line to make way for a $10.7 million transport interchange.

Waitakere City Council sought a resource consent to have the derelict station shifted from the Railside Ave site where parts of it have stood since 1881.

It said the building interfered with space allocated in the interchange plans for a drop-off zone for taxis and car passengers.

If it stayed there, the platform canopy would have to be cut back by 1.3m to meet safety standards.

But the plan to move the station 450m to the Corban Estate Arts Precinct and a new life as a studio was opposed by the Historic Places Trust and Auckland Regional Council heritage officers.

They said tucking the station away in a car park diminished its heritage value.

Planning commissioner Les Simmons refused to give the consent and instead ordered the parties to explore alternatives.

They did and, in an interim decision, Mr Simmons granted consent to a new council suggestion that the station be moved 30m to the south.

It will still face the western line and be part of the transport precinct and its canopy and platform can remain at full width without mutilation.

Mr Simmons said the revised proposal would not interfere with safe and efficient operation of the new interchange. It also meant the former station would be repaired and restored in a location within the immediate vicinity of its original site.

Consent was given, said Mr Simmons, partly on the strength of the council's promise to give reasonable maintenance funding to the station owners, Henderson Heritage Trust.

City development committee chairwoman Councillor Penny Hulse said the council would help the trust to find the money for restoration. She said the solution gave the "best of both worlds".

Historic Places Trust area co-ordinator David Reynolds said the trust believed the station could stay where it was without serious modifications.

"Henderson grew up around the station and it needs to be where a lot of people are moving by.

"It's one of the last remaining Class B stations in Auckland and it's the only station on its original site on the western line of 17 stops.

"It's the only listed heritage building still on its original site in the Henderson commercial area."

Changing stations

* Avondale Station is now at Swanson

* Waitakere Station is now at the Museum of Transport and Technology

* Glen Eden Station was relocated across the line

* Henderson Station is to be moved 30m south