Revamped bus station set to open next week
AFTER 18 months of work, the wait for the new St Margaret’s Bus Station is almost over.
Leicester City Council has announced the grand reopening will take place on Monday, though the public is invited to have a look round on Sunday during an open afternoon.
The Mercury has been invited in today to take photos, so these should be in tomorrow’s paper.
Bus services wll see a staggered return for buses, with local services which were relocated while the work was carried out returning to St Margaret’s from next Monday.
National Express services will then join them at the new station on Tuesday, July 5.
The new facility is thought to be the first carbon neutral bus station in the UK. In fact, the building has an energy performance score of minus four, meaning it is better than net zero.
Built within the same structure as its 1980s predecessor, the new station boasts an improved internal layout, a new cafe, better seats, modern toilets and real time digital passenger information.
Electric bus charging points have been installed and the new building will offer secure storage for up to 100 bicycles, as well being the latest location for a docking station as part of the city’s new e-bike share scheme, Santander Cycles Leicester.
Improvements have also been made to spruce up the surrounding streets, making them more pedestrian and cyclist friendly, and improving links with the city centre.
However, it did not all go without a hitch as the St Margaret’s Gateway Scheme went £800,000 over budget, partially due to the increase in the cost of materials and supply chain issues, bringing the cost of the project to £14.3 million.
Deputy city mayor Councillor Adam Clarke, who leads on environment and transportation, said: “The new St Margaret’s Bus Station represents an ambitious and important step forward in our efforts to become a carbon neutral city.
“We believe that this is the first net zero carbon bus station building in the UK.
“It shows our commitment to decarbonising our public buildings and will build on our work to promote sustainable transport and help improve services for bus passengers in and around the city, through our new Leicester Buses Partnership with local operators.
“You can’t help but notice what a positive difference this investment has already made to the area.
“We’re really looking forward to welcoming people to the new St Margaret’s Bus Station and into this striking new net zero carbon building when it reopens in a few days’ time.”
Visitors will have an opportunity to have a look around the new St Margaret’s Bus Station as part of a formal opening of the building on Sunday, from 12.30pm.
During the open afternoon, Leicester Transport Heritage Trust will be inviting visitors to explore the history of bus travel with a display of vintage vehicles.
There will also be a chance to take a trip back in time with a free vintage bus service between the new St Margaret’s Bus Station and Abbey Pumping Station. The event runs until 4pm.
City mayor Peter Soulsby said: “The new St Margaret’s Bus Station is an important project for Leicester and the completion of this fantastic new building marks the beginning of a revival of this part of the city.
“This new investment is providing a huge boost for public transport.
“It will also act as a catalyst for the regeneration of this important gateway into Leicester, helping to attract even more investment into the city.
“The award of over £10 million of government funding is a tremendous endorsement of the importance of this scheme and I am very grateful to everyone involved in helping to deliver this challenging project to such a tight deadline in difficult circumstances.”
What do you think? Email us at:
ST MARGARET’S WILL ALSO HELP CITY TO BECOME CARBON NEUTRAL