OWNERS of a historical railway building gutted by fire are looking to have it delisted so it can stop being a derelict eyesore.

The Grade II listed goods shed at Wivenhoe railway station was almost completely destroyed in a blaze last September which made it structurally unsound.

But owners Network Rail have been hamstrung in their bid to repair or knock down the building by the protection afforded by its listed status.

Now they have applied to Historic England for the accreditation to be removed and allow work to be done.

A spokesman for Network Rail said: “Because of the fire’s unfortunate almost complete destruction of the building, we have given careful thought to its possible future.

“Options are restricted because of its Grade II listing and we have therefore applied to have the building delisted.

“We have no specific plans for the site at present and any future plans will be determined by outcome of this application.”

Known locally as the Engine Shed, the building was built in 1836 and served the railway when Wivenhoe’s port was thriving.

A fire had destroyed the building in the late 1890s, before it was rebuilt again.

It became disused as the rail industry slowed, and had a short spell storing potatoes before being covered in scaffolding and plastic sheets by Network Rail.

The Wivenhoe Engine Trust had plans to turn it into an auditorium approved in 2004, but the project had to be scrapped because of spiralling costs.

Chairman Peter Hill reluctantly backed the plans for delisting.

He said: “I think it is unavoidable.

“The building is in such a poor state, it is a dreadful eyesore.

“We had fantastic plans to do great things with the building but that dream is now long gone, the fire finally put paid to them.

“For me, it is inevitable it is going to be pulled down.

“Right now it is stuck in limbo because of its listing and I have seen the case put forward by Network Rail and it is a good one.

“I’m reluctant to support Network Rail because I had ten years of trying to save the building but I think it is inevitable.”

Mr Hill said he thought Network Rail’s case was legitimised by the original listing being made based on the shed’s original date, and the fact it did not take into account it being rebuilt in the 1890s.

A spokesman for Historic England said: “I can confirm that we have received an application to delist the Engine shed.

“We will be considering this application in due course and will be advising the Secretary of State for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, who makes the final decision on any listing or delisting case.”