CURRY and poppadoms will now be on the menu at a local railway station after plans to transform its dilapidated ticket office got the green-light. District council planners approved Hakim Uddin s proposal for a daytime caf� and an Indian takeaway by night

CURRY and poppadoms will now be on the menu at a local railway station after plans to transform its dilapidated ticket office got the green-light.

District council planners approved Hakim Uddin's proposal for a daytime caf� and an Indian takeaway by night at Bricket Wood railway station this week.

The historical structure of the building, which will be on a five-year lease from Network Rail, will be maintained but the interior will be transformed.

Realising the station's heritage value, Mr Uddin has promised to preserve the building whilst also providing a service to the local community.

Acting on his behalf, Robi Miah of Luton-based Home Design Consultants, said Mr Uddin was "over the moon" with the approval and can't wait to bring the station back to life.

He has already started work on ordering the kitchen and is hoping that the caf�/takeaway could be open in as little as eight weeks.

But the news hasn't gone down so well with St Stephen Parish Council which objected to the plans, calling it an inappropriate use of a historic building.

Councillors had hoped to see a community-led ambition to transform the building into a heritage centre come to fruition.

The idea emerged from a recent meeting with local residents at the station, which was organised by David Horton, a member of the Abbey Flyer Users Group.

Nonetheless, chairman of St Stephen Parish Council, Cllr John Bell, said he was pleased that the building would be preserved. He said: "At the end of the day, as long as it protects the station from crumbling or being knocked down it's okay, as that was the main object of our exercise. At least somebody will now be looking after it.