The new bus station and parking areas
 

Just to let you know there is a display in the market hall of the new bus station and the new parking areas around Accrington
the architect of this project will be on hand for all your questions between 12 and 2 pm today sat
the display is on till next sat and they want your input on the parking and one way road system
if your in town please nip in and have a look and tell them you saw it on accyweb thanks:)

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

Well not one post left on this thread
I take it nobody cares what happens to Accrington
yet you will start moaning when the one way streets and new parking restrictions come into force
you all had your chance to have your say on parking and the new one way streets with the architect
so don't say you where not informed :mad:

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

Mick, how do you know that people are not interested?
I saw this post when I was on the top deck of a bus, sat in a traffic Jam on the way to Southport.
Because people have not replied does not signify a lack of interest.
People may have gone to see the plans on Saturday.....or they may plan to look at them during this week.
I know that we will be looking......and of we had known about this earlier than Saturday, we might have looked while the architect of these plans was there.

To be truthful, the main damage to the town was done way back.....and no council has had any interest in doing much about it.
The new bus station(for many) is in the wrong place, but it was rubber stamped, with not a hope in hell of changing it......and you know full well how much discussion it provoked on here.
This development is at a late stage and the fact that the plans were/ are up to be viewed means nothing......it wouldn't make one iota of difference if every resident of the town went down there a spit a flea into the architects ear.....it would STILL all go ahead as those in power want it to, because that is how it is.
We aren't asked because they are interested in our views, it is just so that they can say ' we asked the residents for their views'.

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

Got it in one.

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

Exactamundo Margaret.
Whatever is said will not make a jot of difference.

I was down near B&M last week & read a notice on the building thats being modified between B&M & the Halifax, I did wonder why the signs were talking about a new bus station there lol.
Now I know where it is.

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

the council did not listen or care what the people of accrington thought about the new bus station from day one

pockets have been lined and winks exchanged

theres no way in hell they will listen to what the people say or want

this is LCC were talking about here a council 25 miles away that couldnt give a stuff what anything outside of preston needs or thinks

this bus station was way too big of a decision to be decided by an out of town authority it should have been offered not forced upon us with an option to decline

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

Thirty years ago it was proposed that the outside market should be on Boadway and that the bus station was fine where it was, although it required a bit of redesigning, Even back then, Councillors couldn't run a party in brewery.

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

So, where is it? at the bottom of Kings Street?

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

I thought they were leaving it were it was near the outside market.

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

So does anyone know what it is that they are doing a few doors up from B&M ?
They seem to have units 43-46 on Union street for the bus station.

P.S.
http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/council...s-station.aspx
Some pics: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lancas...7653940557498/
A detailed plan = http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/media/7...ailed-Plan.pdf

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

This is going to be the walk way that will allow passengers to access the Arndale.

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

....... And also to exit the Arndale & the town via the shiny new bus station :rolleyes:

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

Yes, but the town planners want us all to see it as a positive development.
Something that will bring people into the town......it doesn't do it for me.
I think it will take more out than it brings in.....and I think it will be the death of businesses that are at the Peel St side of the town....the market hall and the market look doomed.

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

Absolutely agree Margaret, the town planners must think we're all a little stupid & will believe what they tell us

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

The bigger shops like Lloyds chemist may survive, but it will be tough for the smaller shops. Some are already discussing options of closing or moving elsewhere.

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

I think that the town planners think we are all numpties.
With not enough brain cells to bless ourselves....but they think our legs work alright, or they would not be moving the bus station out of the centre of town.

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

Oh right...like we have a say :rolleyes:

Like they listened about Whitebirk :mad:
Like they listened about moving the bus station in the first place :mad:
Like they listened about the whole idea of Pennine Reach :mad:
Like they listened about the market :mad:

Oh sure....I'm going to waste my time going to a town centre that I never go into anymore unless I'm going to the doctor, dentist or optician..because its easier to hop onto the motorway and go to Preston, Manchester or Bury where there are actual shops and shopping centres?

Who cares about parking when there is no reason to park? Besides which, isn't the whole nonsensical idea to encourage people to use the bus and thus reduce the need for cars/parking?

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

Attachment 50958

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

The online plans for the bus station and the artist impression show 6 bus bays.
Last time I walked through the bus staion there were nine buses, including the ones on Infant street and one outside Frank Ogdens. Where will they be parked on the new stands and who will be resposible for watching the drivers out as they reverse.
Are they going to come out onto Blackburn road which is chaotic at times with traffic trying to get out at the bottom of Eagle street.
At present I have no use for buses but the time will come I'm sure.
I assume the tax payer has put a lot of money into the pockets of the thinkers who thought it all up.

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

The old Peel Street Bus station had more than twice the capacity of the new design and even that design required buses to be scattered around onto Melbourne Street and Infant Street. Back then there were only 3 operators, if I remember correctly Accrington, Ribble and Rossendale. Now you will have more operators using far fewer stands and can only result in even more chaos.
The old bus station wasn't a perfect design by any means in fact, it was downright dangerous having passengers walking between the buses but it should have given the 'experts' a few clues about the capacity of it's replacement.

How can the Council have passed a design which even a simpleton like me can see is totally wrong in many respects?

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

I had the misfortune to catch a bus the other day. My car was in for valeting.
It was a M&M ( not a sweet).
The bus was ticking over on the stand, door open and obnoxious fumes blowing back in. The driver was looking at (honestly) what I think what was the Koran and ignored ny request to close the door. My eyes were watering.
Road Traffic laws state vehicle engines must not be left running when the vehicle is stationary. Traffic jams are of course an exception.
If anybody connected with M&M buses reads this don't expect me to ride on your rattling antique death traps. The Platters came to mind. Smoke gets in your eyes.
Rant over.

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

There was also Blackburn with the stand on Union St. The different services had separate stands on Peel St, Town Hall, Melbourne St and Union St. No confusion, people using the buses knew where to go for their particular service.

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

I can only remember the Blackburn service operating from the corner of the bus station next to the Market Hall. As for people using buses knowing where their particular service went from, that is not really the basis of an integrated transport system designed to attract visitors from outside the town. If that was a viable system then we wouldn't need a bus station at all and services could be run from bus shelters scattered around the town - oh wait a minute, that pretty much describes links to other towns of the old system. Scattering services around town could be a scene from Little Britain - local buses for local people.

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

There was also Ribble on Melbourne St.

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

I drove for Standerwick Express Coaches and we had the double deck Gay Hostess on the London Run.
We had a stop on Melbourne street opposite Melba Cafe and Old House Pub. It was around 1965 before I moved here.

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

I remember a Ribble service to London Victoria from Melbourne Street around 1968 on `The White Lady`

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

Yeah I went on that a coupla times as a kid, think there was a longish stop off at Coventry but I could be wrong, no doubt Gremlin could confirm.

Around the same time I remember catching the bus for Huncoat outside the library.

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

Yes there were bus stops dotted around the town.....and if folk from outside the town needed to catch a bus and didn't know where to go.....they could ask one of the friendly locals.

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

Steve R, It was Standerwick Gay Hostess on the London run. Ribble had White Ladies on Manchester. Blackpool, Morecambe and Southport runs. They didn't have toilet or Hostess on board.

And Guiness. Some services stopped at Coventry or Birmingham Digbeth but the ones with the Hostess on board had a short stop at PMT Newastle u Lyme then belted straight to London.
The M6 ended at Cannock and we used the A5 to the M1 at Crick.

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

One of the other interesting issues will be exactly what buses use the new bus station. I've been told M&M & Pilky's won't be due to the cost.

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

Good, get rid of the smelly smoking rattling so called buses.
No doubt they will find a street corner to pollute while waiting for punters.

Just one other thing I would like to see is a nice clean marked out car park in front of the market to replace the bus station. Maybe that would create more people spending in Peel street and the market. It wouldn't cost much in comparison to the money wasted on the new bus station.

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

According to the map on Peel St there are currently 11 bus stands.

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

It would be good if they could afford to get better buses, they are the local companies and use local drivers ( and certainly have more friendlier drivers ). I'd rather they have profits from the bus services than the shareholders of Transdev.

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

I totally agree Dave but only if they ran better vehicles.
I posted a comment the other day about my very rare journey on a M&M bus.
The fumes made my eyes water while the driver, who was reading something I assume to be the Koran, refused to stop the engine or close the door for the five minutes we waited to set off.
I would advise passengers with passes to check their tickets. Mine showed Knusden from Accrington bus station and I had booked Acorn Health centre. Big difference in the money the bus co received from LCC. I didn't look until I emptied my pockets later.

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Have to say its very rare i get the correct pick up point on a ticket, so are these companies claiming for more than they should?:confused:

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

I recon they are mate.
If I have cause to use a bus again I will check the destination printed on the ticket and challenge the driver.
I wonder if the driver gets a little bonus.

Re: The new bus station and parking areas
 

I have also heard that from one of the drivers of The Pilky Bus