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Is the sun setting on the city’s bus station?
The citys bus station is haunted by the spectre of the wrecking ball
Preston’s bus station will cost £7m to keep running despite Town Hall figures showing it makes a profit.
Coun Martyn Rawlinson, the council’s cabinet member for resources, has said it would cost more than the £5m it has in reserve to spend on the city centre to carry out structural improvements on the 43-year-old building.
But, figures have shown that, while the bus station terminal loses £458,760 every year, its 1,100-space car park makes a profit of £543,370, generating an overall profit of £84,610.
Today, the city’s council will meet to decide its annual budget, with the authority’s Liberal Democrat opposition proposing to demolish the building.
Coun Rawlinson said the council would make a decision “in the next six months” on what it does with its assets, including the bus station, the Guild Hall and the markets.
He said: “Demolishing the bus station is an option, but there needs to be a bigger solution to the assets we have in the city centre.
“It does make a profit, but the building is a mess. It will cost us anything up to £7m just to put it right.
“People can blame the council for chasing Tithebarn, and allowing it to get like that, but when there is £700m of investment on the table, you do not take that lightly.”
He said the council’s ruling Labour group’s only commitment to the city centre is £2m for improvements to its markets, which Coun Rawlinson said was to show “a commitment to the markets”.
The Liberal group will put forward its plan for the bus station at tomorrow’s council budget meeting.
“They claim it will cost around £2.5m to knock it down and turn it into a 700-space car park, while they await a developer.
Group finance spokesman Coun John Potter said: “If developer does not come forward, the amount we make on that surface car park would be similar to the current car park.
“We currently pay Lancashire County Council to use the bus station, even though Preston Council does not run buses and now where we have reached the stage where the building requires millions spent on it.”
The figures show that bus operators pay around £250,000 to use the bus station, with revenue also generated by shop rents (£62,530 in 2011/12), office rents (£58,500) and even the public telephones (£1,030).
However, costs include around £220,000 on staffing the building, £193,000 on cleaning and £51,000 in electricity bills.
The building’s car park brings in around £590,000 in charges, with costs including £110,000 in business rates.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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Comments
There are 96 comments to this article
Page 1 of 7
AdoptedByPreston
Monday, February 27, 2012 at 10:37 AM#94 - And what would define as "family's interests"? How extended does that go? Immediate family? Cousins? The focus here seems to be on them sharing a surname. Would that be picked up by what you're pushing? There's no need to be abusive and call people lazy; no one abuses you for your spelling issues.
brookss4
Monday, February 27, 2012 at 12:54 AMBesides his birth certificate as is Ian Rankins is available at LCC as part of the public record. Stop being so dam lazy and do some research if you are that bothered.
brookss4
Monday, February 27, 2012 at 12:53 AM#93 I had to also register my families interest so i presume so does Rankin.
AdoptedByPreston
Sunday, February 26, 2012 at 09:10 PM#90 don't waste your time with #92s suggestion, youll find the info quicker on the council website on the Bio info for each of the councillors. it doesn't have anything relating to relatives tho (regardless of the garden path some posters try to lead you up)
brookss4
Sunday, February 26, 2012 at 12:50 PM#90 the council has a list of Rankins interests, it is required by law, go ask them for a copy.
River
Sunday, February 26, 2012 at 12:18 AMRawlinson said: “People can blame the council for chasing Tithebarn, and allowing it to get like that, but when there is £700m of investment on the table, you do not take that lightly.” This translates as "We were so dazzled by the pound signs, our critical faculties seized up". Learn from this. It's an expensive lesson, but at least it's an opportunity to learn. Don't pretend it's not a mistake, admit it to yourselves and learn from it. Please.
sophidog
Friday, February 24, 2012 at 06:47 PMshould we not be asking our councillors not only their business interests but also their family ones? A while ago i asked if Peter Rankin was remotely related, or even more closely related, to anyone involved with developers in the Preston area. No response yet, but a certain Ian Rankin is occasionally quoted in the LEP representing one project or another; from a developer's point of view you understand........Ian got some thoughts on the Bus Station perhaps??
brookss4
Friday, February 24, 2012 at 08:22 AMand what potter is forgetting it would be a change of use so would need planning permission which isnt certain. so to make an entire budget around a possibility is nonsense. If my work cannot build an additional car park because of the environmental impact why should PCC be allowed to do the same.
Woodsmann
Friday, February 24, 2012 at 04:29 AMOf course the local political and "business community" want to knock it down. When was the last time you saw any of that lot on a bus?
davemckiernan
Friday, February 24, 2012 at 01:17 AMCouncillor John Potter needs to retake take his maths GCSE and see if there's a 'common sense' one available too. “If developer does not come forward, the amount we make on that surface car park would be similar to the current car park." The car park currently makes £84,610 and has a capacity of 1,100, but If flattened, the capacity will be reduced to 700. Wouldn't it then make 7001100 = 0.636 x £84,610 = £53,842, which is a loss of £30,767. Where do they get these clowns from? His next statement is even more alarming. "However, costs include around £220,000 on staffing the building." So god forbid we provide work for the people of Preston and provide adequate parking. £2.5M to demolosh plus an annual loss of £30,767 doesn't make any sense to me or anyone else in Preston. “We currently pay Lancashire County Council to use the bus station, even though Preston Council does not run buses and now where we have reached the stage where the building requires millions spent on it.” So why did you privatise it then? Perhaps to make a 'quick buck' at the expense of the people of Preston once again. Presumably Stagecoach has free rent too! "£193,000 on cleaning and £51,000 in electricity bills." I'm sure Tithebarn's electricity bill might have been slightly higher with all it's post-1972 technology and was it self-cleaning? The bus station might need investment, but surely this creates work for the people of Preston. It is not structually unsound and is probably the last thing in Preston we can be proud of. Didn't an LEP survey conclude that it was the PEOPLE'S favourite building. If it gets bulldozed then I can only conclude that we no longer have a democracy and that a perhaps corrupt minority have won.
DavidJMorris
Friday, February 24, 2012 at 12:59 AMTo quote: "its an eye sore, it smells of pot constantly, the ticket machines constantly break down as do the lifts -replace it with a decent bus station". "for those that say its a great building, architectural icon - get a grip and an eye test - it is a monstrosity". It's been allowed to run down for a long time by a Council that doesn't care about it's travellers. Some refurbishment, cleaning and maintainance will have it looking like the day it opened in 1969. And if you look at the whole building rather than the tatty concourse then it does actually look great. It's unusual and elegant with it's curved upper decks. For many years after it was opened it was an amazing place to pass through. In fact many still enjoy the experience even with the negative aspects quoted.
DavidJMorris
Friday, February 24, 2012 at 12:50 AMWhere do they come up with £7 million to refurb? The building is in good nick. Just a bit tatty.
Gianni
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 10:49 PM§.. TJ & Adopted.. I can tell you I will be standing as a Candidate in this May's election. As yet I'm not at liberty to say which Ward. But the lucky constituents will have a choice. Because if elected I will support the Bus Station and try to convince other Councillors we should keep it. As you know I cannot say I'm a Candidate yet. I will say this....... "It's Game On"......
AdoptedByPreston
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 10:29 PM#79 - Got ya now, you must be talking about the pay and display machines. Knocking down a bus station (without replacing it) because the pay and display machines and the lifts need replacing seems a little bit over the top. Would you promote euthanasia for people that have colds?
AdoptedByPreston
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 10:22 PM#79 & 80 - Ticket machines? Are you talking about the train station now? You may think it's an eyesore, others do not. When international multi award winning architects and a few similarly important heritage groups all start talking about the building then you know there's something special about it regardless of whether you personally like it or not.
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