£13m plan includes a youth area, 33 new bus bays and more coach parking spaces
John Puttick Associates has been selected as the architectural firm that will revamp Preston’s brand new bus and coach station.
After months of competition, Preston County Council announced the news on August 17, which will see the Grade II listed building receive a complete revamp.
The competition was held on Facebook from February until early August and saw 4,215 local people vote for their favourite design. Voters were given the option to choose from five graphics from competing architectural firms.
The public vote counted for up to 10% of the score awarded to each project. All entries had a modern outlook with the aim to preserve the buildings unique brutalist architecture.
Four designers lost out to John Puttick Associates from Manhattan, including local architectural firm Cassidy + Ashton.
Plans for the development include an extension of the current station with new 33 bus bays to be included and four bays added to the new coach park. A new open public space and public service hub is also included in the £13m plan, as well as a Youth Zone designed for 8-19 year olds.
The new Youth Zone will feature a sports hall, fitness suite, climbing wall, an outdoor pitch and areas for music, dance, arts and crafts – it also caters for disabled children up to the age of 25 years.
These new plans will also see the multi-storey carpark repaired and preserved and fall within Preston County Councils Local Transport Plan that will be underway until 2021.
This revamp is also in connection with Preston’s wider regeneration and development 25 year plan for the city centre, which covers the South Ribble and Lancashire areas. Plans were approved in 2014, which is estimated to cost £23m overall after all work is completed.
