Preston Bus Station to be demolished

[PR1Berske]

The BBC's "The Culture Show" is to show a Preston Bus Station special on the 20th March.

The Council is set to decide on the building's future the following day.
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From today's local paper.

For the moderators, my views on this story haven't changed from the first post. This news, below, is sickening. A short-sighted, short-termist, parochial decision made for all the wrong reasons. I disagree entirely with everything said by councillors in this piece.

Preston bus station will be demolished next year after a multi-millionaire’s bid to buy it was rejected.

The city’s council has confirmed it will open talks with Lancashire County Council about building a new, smaller terminal on the site after knocking back the offer from businessman Simon Rigby to buy it.

Designs for the new building will be drawn up in the next 12 months and press ahead with demolition before the end of 2014.

Mr Rigby said he will focus his efforts on getting the building listed which would throw up another barrier to its demolition.

Council leader Peter Rankin said: “The major risk is that, for whatever reason, anyone who owns the bus station building could at some point simply decide not to operate it as a bus station anymore.

“That would leave Preston without a functioning bus station and no money or land to build a new one.

“There is simply no getting away from the fact that the current bus station building needs major investment.

“To bring the bus station up to modern day standards the costs, which have now been independently checked and verified, are between £17m and £23m.”

Mr Rigby said he was “very disappointed” at the decision which he said would see the city lose “a truly iconic building.”

He added: “The council claimed that they were voting with their heads and not their hearts due to budget constraints and appealed for people to come forward so the bus station did not need to be demolished. We did.

“We provided safeguards against us being in it for a quick “buck”, have the skills, resources and asked for no assistance from any taxpayer.

“We are at a complete loss but will study the detail when we receive it.

“Our motivation was always to save the bus station and we will now be working to see the building listed and thereby saved.”

Town Hall bosses said the Rigby offer would have seen nearly £6m put into the building over the next decade, but this fell short of its required investment of between £17m and £23m.

That figure was originally put forward by consultants, Jacobs, employed by the county council to work out the cost of refurbishment, and was disputed by opponents to the demolition.

However, a study undertaken by Preston-based surveyors The Tom Lucas Partnership, commissioned to scrutinise at Jacobs figures, shows it would cost £23.1m to retain the building.

Source- http://www.lep.co.uk/news/business/end-of-the-line-as-bus-station-bid-is-rejected-1-5500945

 

[markydh]

Congratulations go out to Prestion City Councillors for having the courage to rid the world of one of the ugliest buildings I have ever had the misfortune to use

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I see the report states that Simon Rigby "will focus his efforts on obtaining listed status" for the building, as a method of making this matter ever more drawn out.

 

[snail]

Yes, sounds like a typical case of sour grapes. "I can't have it, so I'll make sure no one else can use it without spending loads of money".

 

[DynamicSpirit]

(quoted by PR1Berske)

Council leader Peter Rankin said: “The major risk is that, for whatever reason, anyone who owns the bus station building could at some point simply decide not to operate it as a bus station anymore.

“That would leave Preston without a functioning bus station and no money or land to build a new one.

Source- http://www.lep.co.uk/news/business/end-of-the-line-as-bus-station-bid-is-rejected-1-5500945

I would prefer to see the bus station replaced, but this reasoning sounds odd. Surely it's not too difficult put a covenant on a building restricting how it can be used in the future to ensure it remains a bus station?

 

[howittpie]

Having used Preston bus station for the first time this week I have to say it is not the greatest place to wait for a delayed Megabus as it was freazing. I gather from talking to a driver if it is demolished and moved to the proposed site then alot of work need tpo be done to the roads in that area in order to allow coaches to access the new bus station.

 

[snail]

I thought the proposed site was the current one?

 

[Ivo]

The current situation summarised in an 11-word response to one specific line from the LEP article...

Mr Rigby said he was “very disappointed” at the decision which he said would see the city lose “a truly iconic building.”

What is more important, an iconic building or a functional building?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

What is more important, an iconic building or a functional building?

If I may stray to another mode of transport, your comment above is one that has been worth using in the manner of Manchester Victoria railway station and its "managed decline" over the years. It is only now that the plans for the new roof and the change of the original Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway station interior, that will give a rail transport hub in a major city a "fit for purpose" 21st century usage.

 

[PR1Berske]

I thought the proposed site was the current one?

Yep...

 

[Whistler40145]

You cannot keep a building just because an individual or individuals don't want to see it demolished, you have to be practical.

What would have happened if Stagecoach or Preston Bus decided they wouldn't continue to serve the current Bus Station?

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[PR1Berske]

You cannot keep a building just because an individual or individuals don't want to see it demolished, you have to be practical.

What would have happened if Stagecoach or Preston Bus decided they wouldn't continue to serve the current Bus Station?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

That situation is highly unlikely, as it would need Lancs CC to allow it.

 

[starrymarkb]

That situation is highly unlikely, as it would need Lancs CC to allow it.

Is there anything the council could do if the companies decided to move out? Western Greyhound moved all their services out of Plymouth bus station for a while because of the council's charges to use the bus station (£30 per departure) - I think eventually a compromise was reached there. The council could require tendered services to use it. They'd have no power over commercial routes though

 

[PR1Berske]

The comments section underneath this story about the BBC's "The Culture Show" has the usual wide selection of views:

http://www.lep.co.uk/community/preston-bus-station-to-feature-on-bbc2-s-culture-show-1-5502714

 

[Ivo]

£30 per departure

£30 per departure? That's utterly ridiculous! Bristol only charge £4.19...

 

[Accura]

You cannot keep a building just because an individual or individuals don't want to see it demolished, you have to be practical.

What would have happened if Stagecoach or Preston Bus decided they wouldn't continue to serve the current Bus Station?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

I'm not sure if they could just move out, but Rotala (Preston Bus) have stated they support the demolition and creation of a new facility. And they have just refurbished their office at the bus station so they must have good reasons!

 

[Nick W]

I'm sure there isn't an argument here that wasn't also used to support the demolition of the iconic Euston station and its Dorich arch.

 

[Mikey C]

The bus station may be famous and 'iconic', but it's also hideous and virtually empty. The area of town it's located in is pretty bleak as a result...

 

[Whistler40145]

During the demolition of the current Bus Station, where will temporary facilities be provided?


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[tbtc]

How will tourism numbers to Preston fall once this "iconic" structure is no more? Are there thousands a day visiting the place to see all of this concrete?

What is more important, an iconic building or a functional building?

Exactly!

 

[starrymarkb]

The bus station may be famous and 'iconic', but it's also hideous and virtually empty. The area of town it's located in is pretty bleak as a result...

It is very ugly!

Shouldn't the needs of the passengers and the building fitness for purpose (ie many out of use bays. "Temporary" Fenced Pedestrian routes across the manoeuvring area because passengers won't use the subways) come before preservation of hideous architechure?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I really do regret that the term "Brutalist" has ever been allowed to describe so-called works-of-art or constructed edifices, as this conveys that this term does acknowledge the fact there is some recognised approval for these items.

 

[tbtc]

Shouldn't the needs of the passengers and the building fitness for purpose (ie many out of use bays. "Temporary" Fenced Pedestrian routes across the manoeuvring area because passengers won't use the subways) come before preservation of hideous architechure?

No.

The needs of the passengers who use this structure daily are apparently less important than some Architecture students who watch The Culture Show.

Apparently.

 

[PR1Berske]

The bus station may be famous and 'iconic', but it's also hideous and virtually empty. The area of town it's located in is pretty bleak as a result...

An area of town is not bleak because the bus station is empty.

Which it isn't.

 

[Clip]

I actually quite like the look of the building but if it is underused then they really should develop it around a shorter bus station and as someone pointed out earlier it could do well as a Picture house or something similar.

 

[507 001]

I think the question that needs to be asked here is whether the general public really cares?
I really dont think they'll be bothered about losing an "iconic" (read ugly) building if they can have a nice shiny new facility that is actually fit for purpose.
I'm not talking about enthusiasts, I'm talking about average Joe.

At the end of the day, its only a bus station, its not the sistine chapel!

 

[PR1Berske]

I think the question that needs to be asked here is whether the general public really cares?
I really dont think they'll be bothered about losing an "iconic" (read ugly) building if they can have a nice shiny new facility that is actually fit for purpose.
I'm not talking about enthusiasts, I'm talking about average Joe.

At the end of the day, its only a bus station, its not the sistine chapel!

70% of respondents to a recent survey would keep the bus station.

 

[90019]

70% of respondents to a recent survey would keep the bus station.

Source, please.

 

[PR1Berske]

Source, please.

provided: http://www.lep.co.uk/news/business/70-want-to-keep-bus-station-1-5271710

 

[starrymarkb]

I'd be careful there, remember that a lot of people who wanted Routemasters preserved forever and No Artics in London were people who never used the buses on a regular basis..