Preston Bus Station to be demolished

[Xenophon PCDGS]

One of my sons has reminded me that Ashton-under-Lyne has seemed to have built more replacement bus stations than most settlements over the last thirty years.

It will be interesting to note if the coming of the Manchester Metrolink to that town will see yet another bus station there in the form of a transport interchange.

 

[Wath Yard]

Car parks you can build elsewhere, preferably outside the city centre.

Preferably for whom? The M6 P&R was hardly a success, although despite it closing down it has been considered successful enough for a fantasy tram route to serve it.

Preston is in a pretty unfortunate position in that its transport links are too good. It is too easy and quick to get to Manchester and Liverpool, therefore preventing people from parking in the city centre would just mean people are more likely to shop elsewhere.

 

[Lewisham2221]

Exeter will be replacing its 19 stand one soon. Not sure how many stands the new one will have but it does need something doing to it.

The city will be without a bus station for a few months, but hopefully it will be worth it (lets hope for no Snafus like Derby)

Btw this was Derby before...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/derby/content/images/2005/10/11/derby_bus_station_22_460x300.jpg

And this is is now

http://www.jimmylemon.co.uk/blog/images/20110526102459_derby_bus_station_2.jpg

I think I'd rather wait in the new one

Although, refering back to an earlier point, the new Derby bus station does appear to be on of those that could have been better from an operational/bus manouvering point of view. The handful of outdoor stands at the far end are a bit of a let down too.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

This thread seems as good a place as any to ask:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mansfield_bus_station

Is this true?

'The bus station ... handles around 1,500 buses and 16,000 passenger arrivals a day. It is the busiest bus station in the county...'

 

[PR1Berske]

Cllr Peter Rankin (Leader of Preston Council), and Cllr Drew Gale (Labour, member of Planning Committee) have taken to Twitter. Here are some selected highlights.

 

[Eagle]

Judging by the fact you've posted a screencap of yourself getting publicly owned by an elected official there, can I take it that means you've changed your mind? :P

 

[PR1Berske]

.... ....

 

[Eagle]

That's not me.

Edited (bare imgur links all look alike )

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Ignore

 

[PR1Berske]

Judging by the fact you've posted a screencap of yourself getting publicly owned by an elected official there, can I take it that means you've changed your mind? :P

But I've not been owned. Refurb cost less than half only two years ago, and surprise surprise, building a new one cost twice as much only two years ago. The figures have reversed very clearly for very obvious reasons.

 

[Lewisham2221]

But I've not been owned. Refurb cost less than half only two years ago, and surprise surprise, building a new one cost twice as much only two years ago. The figures have reversed very clearly for very obvious reasons.

Jusst like how you, only 17 posts ago, very clearly ignored the fact that the bus station will be replaced rather than simply demolished, for very obvious reasons.

 

[PR1Berske]

Jusst like how you, only 17 posts ago, very clearly ignored the fact that the bus station will be replaced rather than simply demolished, for very obvious reasons.

But for 12 years the Council said the bus station was in the wrong place and had to be relocated. Now it's in the right place and cheaper to rebuild. It just doesn't wash.

 

[snail]

So have you got the money to lend or not? I don't want the council wasting £23m on my behalf just to keep you and a couple of twitter users happy, thank you very much. If the bus station is so fantastic why hasn't it been listed?

PS I haven't voted in any of the polls. This kind of public opinion is usually heavily weighted towards one side or the other, in this instance people that want to keep the bus station. But I haven't taken a poll on that so don't quote me.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

That's not me.

But for 12 years the Council said the bus station was in the wrong place and had to be relocated. Now it's in the right place and cheaper to rebuild. It just doesn't wash.

Funny that. This person on twitter says exactly the same thing as you just now.

 

[PR1Berske]

So have you got the money to lend or not? I don't want the council wasting £23m on my behalf just to keep you and a couple of twitter users happy, thank you very much. If the bus station is so fantastic why hasn't it been listed?

PS I haven't voted in any of the polls. This kind of public opinion is usually heavily weighted towards one side or the other, in this instance people that want to keep the bus station. But I haven't taken a poll on that so don't quote me.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Funny that. This person on twitter says exactly the same thing as you just now.

The original post was edited. It was originally not my quote.

And the £23m figure is bunkum. It was nothing like that for 12 years during the years of managed decline.

 

[90019]

Since this is clearly something you're very supportive of, why not set up a 'Save Preston Bus Station' group and attempt to raise the funds needed to refurbish the building and then to maintain it?

 

[snail]

Since this is clearly something you're very supportive of, why not set up a 'Save Preston Bus Station' group and attempt to raise the funds needed to refurbish the building and then to maintain it?

There's already a Facebook group with a massive 699 followers and, showing the joined up thinking, two twitter accounts with around 1000 followers between them. I'm not sure how representative that is of the 114,000 people that live in Preston. But talk is cheap.

 

[Ivo]

There's already a Facebook group with a massive 699 followers and, showing the joined up thinking, two twitter accounts with around 1000 followers between them. I'm not sure how representative that is of the 114,000 people that live in Preston. But talk is cheap.

It's not just Preston they represent though is it? It's all the people on Earth who want the bus station to be "saved". The City of Preston as a whole (i.e. not just the settlement) is over 130,000, while the urban area, including Leyland, Chorley and others, is in the region of 270,000. And this is allowing for the fact that Chorley is larger enough to boast its own (and far more efficient) bus station facility.

Now consider the population of the city in relation to the number of bus stands in the bus station. The town I grew up in, whose bus station was rebuilt less than ten years ago (and is now considered "inadequate" as a result), has a population of 170,000+ in an urban area bigger than that of Preston and Central Lancashire - but its bus station has just 12 stands, of which only five are actually in the bus station itself and not on one of the streets around it. That works out as one stop for every 14,166 people. Preston's works out at one stand for every 1,425 people - all of which are in the actual bus station. On this evidence, Preston's bus station has almost ten times as much capacity as the one in Southend.

Also, 669 followers is not massive. That represents roughly one person for every 10.5M on the planet.

 

[snail]

Also, 669 followers is not massive.

I knew that. It's called irony.

 

[daikilo]

I knew that. It's called irony.

The real irony of the bus station is that it may be the car park on top which doesn't pay its way. Both need to be closer to the shopping area so whether that area needs to expand back to the bus station/carpark or the latter needs to move closer to the shopping district is the real question.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Many people in this thread have commented on the distance to talk to the railway station, but that's only part of the problem.

I am sure that you did not really mean what you had written above...hock:

I understand that Prince Charles has been known to converse with arboreal subjects, but there will not be all that many of the travelling fraternity who will wish to converse with a railway station. Mind you, there have been times when I felt like giving Manchester Victoria railway station a real good telling-off...

 

[PR1Berske]

I understand that there is serious talk about a protest at the council meeting. I support any protests and direct action which disrupts the councillors discussing this process.

 

[tbtc]

I understand that there is serious talk about a protest at the council meeting. I support any protests and direct action which disrupts the councillors discussing this process.

You're supporting "direct action which disrupts councillors discussing a bus station"?

Did you really just type this?

It's a bus station - not closure of the local hospital... a bit of perspective, eh?

 

[Deerfold]

I understand that there is serious talk about a protest at the council meeting. I support any protests and direct action which disrupts the councillors discussing this process.

Really? I can understand you wanting to influence them, put across your point of view, but to stop them discussing it?

 

[PR1Berske]

I mean it. If the proposals to disrupt the meeting are sorted out, I'll join them.

The Council have attempted to railroad this decision without justification, merit or mandate. They dismiss polls and feedback proving they're wrong to demolish the station. If there needs to be direct action disrupting their meeting, or even perhaps the destruction, then I know people are ready to take that step.

 

[Ivo]

Did anyone ever do this kind of thing with Greyfriars in Northampton?

One notable settlement with a substantial catchment, minus one hideous bus station. Preston is a bit smaller, and its catchment is a bit smaller, and its bus station slightly less hideous - but otherwise, what's the difference? If Northampton can tell they need to do away with their wreck (at long last), then why not Preston? Because of some "away with the fairies" belief that they need to keep their bus station as a national landmark?

:roll:

Preston bus station should have been demolished a long time ago. It is an eyesore and far too large for its own good.

 

[snail]

I mean it. If the proposals to disrupt the meeting are sorted out, I'll join them.

The Council have attempted to railroad this decision without justification, merit or mandate.

They haven't made a decision yet. How do you know?

 

[PR1Berske]

They haven't made a decision yet. How do you know?

Cllrs Peter Rankin, Drew Gale, and John Potter have made it very clear that they're going to support the report's recommendation.

 

[snail]

Cllrs Peter Rankin, Drew Gale, and John Potter have made it very clear that they're going to support the report's recommendation.

Yes, and the rest of the council members will vote on it. It's called democracy.

It's all very well calling for the bus station to be saved but where is the money coming from to do it? It sounds like the County Council may be prepared to help in redeveloping a slimmed-down facility as part of a wider package of transport improvements. Without that, Preston City Council are faced with paying out 6 grand a week to keep the white elephant open. It's a very attractive white elephant but there are much better things to do with council tax money.

 

[PR1Berske]

Yes, and the rest of the council members will vote on it. It's called democracy.

It's all very well calling for the bus station to be saved but where is the money coming from to do it? It sounds like the County Council may be prepared to help in redeveloping a slimmed-down facility as part of a wider package of transport improvements. Without that, Preston City Council are faced with paying out 6 grand a week to keep the white elephant open. It's a very attractive white elephant but there are much better things to do with council tax money.

If you think that other members of the council aren't whipped to support their leader's position, you're more naive than I thought.

The Council can afford demolition and rebuilding, or so they say, so of course they can afford refurbishment.

 

[snail]

If you think that other members of the council aren't whipped to support their leader's position, you're more naive than I thought.

It's still democracy. Live with it.

The Council can afford demolition and rebuilding, or so they say, so of course they can afford refurbishment.

Now who is being naive? Taking £300K a year off the maintenance budget is a huge saving. Think of it as £3 of everyone's council tax, every year, then ask how many still want the bus station saved.

I don't know where you get your idea that they can afford to refurbish. If they demolish and rebuild the County Council will probably chip in; leave it as it is and the City have to foot the bill. It will cost £4-5M to do nothing.