The final hurdle cleared in bus station dispute
A‘ FRUSTRATING’ dispute delaying construction of Rawtenstall’s new £3.5m bus station has finally been overcome - after several months of talks.
Rossendale council has announced a ‘major step forward’ for the £5.4m Spinning Point development having finally hammered out an agreement with Royal Mail over road closures around the site.
However, it is understood it could still take eight to 12 weeks for a ‘stopping up order’, enabling works to get underway, to be approved by the Department for Transport.
Work was due to begin on the bus station in April following the completion of the Old Town Hall redevel- opment - itself due to be handed over to Together Housing at the end of August - and scheduled for completion this year.
This timeframe has now slipped due to the Royal Mail wrangle - which was first reported in the Free Press nine months ago.
A Rossendale council spokesperson said: “This is a major step forward for the next stage of Spinning Point and we look forward to the scheme progressing after what we know has been a frustrating delay for many.
“We are still on track to complete the bus station by Spring 2019 - further details of when construction will begin will be released in the coming weeks.”
They added: “All parties are now working together to complete the necessary legal agreements to formal- ise the stopping up of the road. The next step is to work through the legal requirements necessary for any road closure and to ensure this is done at the earliest opportunity.”
The order would close town centre streets - North Street, west of Kay Street, part of Lord Street and part of James Street.
Royal Mail had objected amid concerns over potential delays to deliveries from their Kay Street sorting office. However, they confirmed they have now reached an agreement with the council and its development partner Barnfield Investment Properties Limited, enabling them to withdraw their objection.
Their spokesperson said: “We are satisfied that the agreement which we have reached addresses our original concerns around the operational and the health and safety implications associated with the road closure.”
Last month, plans were unveiled for Spinning Point’s second phase, including a hotel operated by a ‘world-famous’ chain and state-of-the-art spa.