Fresh calls for the historic Brunel Railway Sheds in High Wycombe town centre to be restored have been made by the former owner this week – years after he was forced to stop his grand development vision in its tracks.

Businessman Nick Sargent – who this week also delivered a £6,000 cheque to help save High Wycombe’s Red Lion – used to own the Grade II-listed building several years ago, but says he sold up after council decision makers “refused” to listen to his development plans.

The historic shed, which was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel as part of the Great Western Railway, was the original 1854 train station in town before it was replaced 10 years later.

The old building then became the ticket office and an engine workshop and has been enshrined in the town’s history ever since.

However, with developments going on around it the building – owned by Chiltern Railways – remains derelict, and Mr Sargent told the Bucks Free Press this week that he remains hopeful his plans for a new lease of life could one day come true.

Poll: What would you like to see happen to the buildings?

He said: “The plans were to develop it partly as a retail building and partly for community use, but at the time the council refused to consider any plans we had and it now sadly remains derelict.

“It has a lot of history. When you went into the building, you could still see where the steam trains went under the beams. With so much history, it badly needs to be restored.”

Mr Sargent owned the building for about 10 years as part of an impressive property portfolio which also includes the large Valley Centre site in Gordon Road.

He added: “Eventually I had to sell the building and it remains in a derelict position, but I’d very much like to restore it.”

The Brunel Railway Sheds is currently owned by Chiltern Railways and in recent years part of the structure has been demolished as part of the site extension.

In 2014, a giant hand-painted Victorian mural was created on the boarded facade of the building in a bid to revitalise the scene.

Would you like to see it restored? Have your say by commenting below or email andrew.colley@london.newsquest.co.uk