DESIGNS for Burnley's £2million revamped bus station have been unveiled by the council -- together with news that work on the scheme will begin in August.
The council say the project -- which replaces a much larger £6.5million scheme aborted last year -- will provide Burnley with "a state of the art" new concourse with 18 bus bays on the Centenary Way side of the site.
Passenger facilities will include a cafe, shop, travel and tourist information office and toilets on the facing side.
The design created by architects Strzala Associates, proposes a new purpose-built taxi rank and car passenger dropping-off bay at the Gunsmith Place end of the concourse.
A site for future shopping development is identified at the corner of Croft Street and Red Lion Street, but construction on this can only begin after the new bus station has been completed in the spring of next year.
The new building, say the council, will be a stylish modern design, with a glazed wall facing the Centenary Way bus bay side, with a canopy for buses to pull under, so passengers can go to and from buses under cover, with fully-automatic doors for all entrances to the concourse.
Council chiefs say the aim is to provide a bus station that will encourage the use of public transport and act as a landmark for bus travel.
While the new station is being built, temporary arrangements will be made for bus stops either side of Croft Street, on Red Lion Street and Parker Lane.
The project will be paid for via a partnership between Burnley council and Lancashire county, with grants from the Local Transport Plan, Single Regeneration Budget and contributions from Town Centre Developments.
Burnley council last year pulled out of a £6.5million deal for Manchester-based Modus Properties to re-develop the '60s bus station, because councillors said they were not satisfied with the standard of commercial development proposed for the shopping areas of the station.
Modus, which owns the Safeway House building which dominates the bus station area, has announced plans to re-develop the building.
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