Fresh hitch for city's £22m new bus station

Work to create Wolverhampton's £22million new bus station has been delayed yet again amid ongoing legal negotiations with one of its main supporters.

It is the third time bosses behind the transport Interchange have put it back. It will see the city's bus and train stations rebuilt and linked by a footbridge across the ring road, with bars and restaurants created to line the canal as part of a wider £174m project.

The current bus station will be demolished and services will be diverted to Queen Street and Stafford Street from the main bus terminus in Pipers Row.

Bosses had hoped to start work creating a new bus station back in November last year, but delayed the start amid fears of damaging trade in the run up to Christmas. A start date of January was then announced, before being put back to February.

Today it emerged negotiations with the council and transport authority Centro, which wants the scheme to go ahead, had delayed the project.

The council is still trying to finish acquiring the Queen's Building, which houses the current waiting and customer service area, Pipers Row House and its car park, all of which are owned by Centro.

Wolverhampton City Council head of transportation David Orton told a meeting of the council's audit committee there was still no date set for work to start.

He said: "We are still not in a position to tell you precisely when the start date will be but expect it to be in the next few weeks."