Bus station is months behind

CHARLOTTE GREEN

WORKS on the Rawtenstall’s new £3.5 million bus station will not be completed until next winter - months later than anticipated, council chiefs have confirmed.

The full timetable for the Spinning Point project has been released, and Rossendale council say they are now aiming to have completed the new bus station, which is being funded by Lancashire County Council, by November 2018.

It was hoped the new station could be finished between May and August next year, but a series of delays - including objections from heritage campaigners, the discovery of asbestos in buildings, and the negotiation of road stopping up orders and agreeing Post Office access - has slowed the start of works.

Council leader Coun Alyson Barnes said the delays were “part and parcel” of a large scale development. She added: “It is much more complicated to develop a town centre ●● A digital image showing how the new Rawtenstall bus station will look. Pic: RTB partnership brownfield site than a greenfield one, especially when you’re demolishing, and the asbestos needed specialist treatment. But clearly we want it up and running as soon as possible. Unfortunately this delay has happened, we will try and get through the work as quickly as possible. We appreciate that some of these delays will impact on traders and shoppers and we can only apologise for that and we appreciate their patience during the development period.”

The second half of the scheme is anticipated to begin in autumn 2018 and the entirety of the £5.3m masterplan for Rawtenstall is predicted to be finished within three years.

Work on the first phase is currently underway, with demolition of the town hall extension and later the former police station expected to be fin- ished by the end of August, and the outmoded bus terminal demolished by the close of 2018.

The report adds that to compensate for lost car parking spaces off Lord Street, the development of a new 30-space car park on the site of the old police station is to be “prioritised and established as soon as practically possible following demolition”.

Coun Barnes added: “That was the commit- ment we gave to Rawtenstall Chamber of Commerce at the beginning of this process because it is problematic for traders when there are fewer parking spaces so we said that we would prioritise parking in terms of the development process.”

Rosso will staff the new station, which will also include four retail units and services for a pop-up kiosk, toilets and changing facilities.