Council officials have rejected a £3 million planning application to refurbish Stirling train station.

The intention was to replace the glass panels at platforms two, three and four with ones made from polycarbonate, a stronger material aesthetically similar to the glass already in place.

Rail chiefs believe, among other things, that freight trains causing significant vibrations as they move through the station mean the glass panels are a possible danger to people.

At Tuesday’s Planning and Regulation Panel meeting, planning officals moved to refuse the application on a number of grounds.

Firstly, they said that Network Rail had not “satisfactorily demonstrated that acceptable solutions in glass are not available,” and secondly that it would be difficult to enforce any conditions to an agreement that would see Network Rail liable to replace the polycarbonate panels which would inevitably degrade over time.

The council officials also said the plastic panels would affect the architectural integrity of the 100-year-old listed building.

A spokesman for Stirling Council said: “Stirling Railway Station is a hundred years old and was designed by the eminent Glasgow architect, James Miller, who was renowned for his railway buildings.

“As such, it is an A-listed building that is recognised as one of the best preserved town stations in Scotland.

“Stirling Council’s planning officers believe that the proposed replacement of the glass canopy panels with non-traditional polycarbonate panels, which are prone to discolouration, will adversely impact the architectural integrity of the station. They also believe that Network Rail have not demonstrated that other solutions in glass are not available.

“The matter was considered by Stirling Council’s Planning & Regulation Panel on 28 January and planning permission for the replacement of the glass canopy panels with polycarbonate panels was refused.” A Network Rail spokesman added: “We are putting this plan forward as the roof is beginning to degrade.

“It’s been there since the 1970s and there is a build-up of bird droppings and vegetation and it is causing cracking to the material that supports the roof.

“But one of the concerns of the planners is that the plastic polycarbonate material might not age well and discolour.

“We have guaranteed that will not happen and offered to add a line to any planning consent agreeing to replace the panels if that does happen.”