Plans for a £900,000 refurbishment to a Kent station have moved a step closer, after the building was officially handed over to the local authority.

After negotiations with Southeastern and Network Rail, a 25-year lease on Bat and Ball station was this week signed over to Sevenoaks Town Council.

For the past year the authority has been working on a project that has achieved planning permission and listed building consent to refurbish the boarded up station building to provide a café, public toilets and community rooms.

An application for funding for the refurbishment has been made to the Heritage Lottery Fund, and a decision is due by December.

If successful the project would be carried out between January and September 2018, otherwise the authority will carry out the work as as and when funds are available.

"The refurbishment is key to the master plan for the regeneration of Northern Sevenoaks" - chief executive Linda Larter

Chief Executive of Sevenoaks Town Council, Linda Larter, said: "Sevenoaks Town Council believe the refurbishment of the Bat and Ball Station building is key to the masterplan for the regeneration of Northern Sevenoaks.

"The building and the surrounding environment has recently been the subject of
considerable anti-social behaviour and the Town Council is working with Kent Police and the
Transport Police to address these matters."

In addition to the station building, the town council is continuing with the development of
the new Bat and Ball Centre building which is on the opposite side of the railway line, and which would provide disabled access to the London bound platform of the station.

The planning application for the centre is due to be submitted next month.