A former railway building containing a waiting room used by Queen Victoria is set to become a pub.

Old Station House on St Albans Road in Watford was built in 1837 as part of Robert Stephenson’s London and Birmingham railway.

CESA Developments Ltd applied to extend and refurbish the now “dilapidated” Grade II listed building and was granted permission on Tuesday (October 1 ) by Watford Borough Council’s development management committee.

They hope to turn it into a pub which, according to the Watford Observer, would be run by Failte Ventures. Licensing permission will still be required from the council.

Under the plans approved this week, a shed will be demolished, an extension will be added, the interior will be refurbished, an incomplete ramp will be replaced with proper wheelchair access, and external works will be carried out.

Since the late 1970s, the building has been used as a sales office for a second-hand car dealership, and it has previously been used as a house. For the last six years, it has been empty.

Its railway usage lasted only 21 years, finishing in 1859 when the original Watford station closed down to be replaced by Watford Junction. During those two decades, it housed the ticket office, a passengers’ room, a ladies’ waiting room, an inspector’s room, and a porter’s room.

In 1843, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited the station while travelling from Windsor to Tamworth to visit prime minister Robert Peel. They used a waiting room at the station before boarding their special train.

Nowadays, the Old Station House is located between the railway line and the recent Watford Cross development.

Councillors at the meeting praised the application. Cllr Mark Watkin said it was a “remarkable event” to “see a famous building in Watford brought back from near destruction into community use”.

Some members of the public objected to the plans, raising concerns about potential noise and antisocial behaviour.

But a noise assessment submitted with the application found “there wouldn’t be a significant impact on noise levels given the relatively noisy context” of the nearby railway line and roads.

Cllr Nigel Bell said: “When you think this historic building goes back to 1837 and this is where Queen Victoria and Albert stopped on the train, I think that’s very important to be remembered.

“It’s terrible at the moment, in a dilapidated state. If it can be brought back … that would be great.”