Nelson interchange 'needs more benches and bins' (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Nelson interchange 'needs more benches and bins'

3:30pm Wednesday 8th July 2009 in

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ELDERLY people have nowhere to sit and litter is a problem due to a lack of benches and bins next to Nelson’s new £4.5 million bus and rail interchange, a meeting heard.

Taxi drivers said the area close to their rank at the state-of-the-art facility is used frequently by smokers as the habit is prohibited inside the building.

Despite asking Pendle Council to tackle the issues when the facility opened in December no action has been taken, they said.

Town hall chiefs said it was a matter for Lancashire County Council (LCC), which is responsible for the interchange along with Network Rail, and agreed to get in touch with transport bosses at county hall to request the installation of both benches and bins.

Chairman of Pendle Hackney Carriage Association Mohammed Ilyas told Nelson Committee about the issues at Monday night’s meeting.

Mr Ilyas said the problems caused by a lack of benches and bins became apparent shortly after the facility was opened in December last year.

He added: “We noticed this eight months ago and kept saying something needs to be done, but nobody has done anything.

“Old people have no place to sit and young lads are coming through and there’s no bins so they throw things on the floor.”

Pendle Council’s regeneration director Brian Cookson said it was the first he had heard about the problems.

He added: “It seems like a sensible suggestion, but the land is owned by the county council, so we will have to liaise with them to see whether it is possible to install benches and bins. We can ask the county council if they want a contribution from this committee.”

Committee chairman George Adam suggested using the old benches from Memorial Square, which is being redeveloped, but Mr Cookson said people would like to see “nice new” ones.

Chris Anslow, public transport policy manager at LCC, said he was “happy to work with Pendle Council.