Brewery taproom planned for Hebden Bridge railway station
Darkland Brewery has asked permission to turn part of the rail station into a taproom
Last updated 7th Apr 2026
A Grade II-listed Calderdale railway station could soon boast a taproom selling beers from a local brewery – and guests – if they can gain a planning consent.
But Darkland Brewery will need to use a portion of a waiting room at Hebden Bridge Rail Station to create a key cold store, if planners agree.
The brewery, based just outside Halifax, has applied to Calderdale Council seeking listed building consent to make that change.
The brewery team say they have developed a plan for the vacant unit with two primary objectives – designing a taproom that “respects and complements” the station’s historic features, and ensuring the operation is viable and sustainable, justifying a long-term commitment.
Darkland, established in 2018, hope to create a cold store in the station waiting room, to the east of the proposed two bar rooms.
For security reasons, a portion of the room would need to be partitioned off to house the cold store unit.
But a large part of the room would remain available for use by the travelling public, and this has given approval by rail operator Northern, according to the application.
In a supporting statement, Darkland says: “Our plan includes offering six to eight hand-pulled cask beers, including guest selections from like-minded local microbreweries.
“To achieve this and maintain the highest quality and freshness, we require a large cold room located as close to the bar as possible.”
They further explain: “To present these beers at their best, they must be rested and vented near the beer engines (hand-pull pumps) to minimise the distance the beer travels during dispensing.
“Given these requirements, creating a cold storage area within part of the waiting room would provide the optimal environment for the beers to flourish.”
A small hole would be need to cut in the wall between the waiting room and the bar, in order for the pipework to pass through, however this would not need to be very large, and could potentially be filled in and plastered over should the bar use cease, says the brewery.
“Whilst the introduction of partitioning into the current waiting room would have an impact on that space, it would not really impact upon the external appearance of the listed building,” they argue.
The cutting of the small holes – another would be needed for a drain – would be reversible and the limited harm that they would cause to the listed building would be more than outweighed by the benefit of giving the building a viable use which would provide enhanced facilities for rail passengers and visitors to Hebden Bridge, argues Darkland.
The application, number 26/00193/LBC, can be viewed on the council’s Planning Portal.