Interchange set for year-long delay
Thursday 20th May 2010, 12:00PM BST.
The completion of Wolverhampton’s £176 million bus and rail interchange could be delayed by more than a year.
Bosses have admitted it could be the end of 2010 before they even apply for planning permission for the project, which will include offices, canalside bars and hotels as well as a new railway station, a carpark and restaurants.
Developers Neptune and Wolverhampton City Council had originally expected to submit an outline planning application for the second phase by the end of last year.
But today Rob Mason, development director of Neptune Developments, said: “It is difficult at this stage to be precise on the timing of a planning application for the next phase.
“However, I very much hope that one can be submitted before the end of the year.”
The first phase, a £22.5million bus station with 19 stands and a footbridge across Ring Road St David’s, has been under construction since April and will be ready next summer.
Steve Boyes, Wolverhampton City Council’s director for regeneration and environment, added: “We are delighted to have been able to achieve, at the beginning of April, our goal of enabling a start to be made on the bus station redevelopment phase of the Interchange project.
“A considerable amount of work has already been done in terms of phase two and further discussions will be undertaken over the next three months to ensure the final scheme is both sustainable and deliverable.”
The second phase is currently short of funding and faces an uncertain future in light of inevitable budget cuts under the new Tory-Lib Dem government.
It is hoped the 413,000 sq ft of office space at the canalside area of the Interchange scheme will attract both private companies but also the Civil Service, which is looking to relocate departments out of London in a bid to save taxpayers money.
The scheme was meant to be completed by 2013.
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Doesn’t surprise me
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The “inevitable budget cuts” are designed to hoodwink voters into thinking that the Tories and Lib Dems are so very effective and efficient.
Yet the article highlights the costs that delay and uncertainties cause.
How much has already been spent that would just be wasted money if the government decides to pull the plug – and how much money will be spent that would have been saved and generated if the project had gone ahead?
The Tories don’t want to cut projects to protect the public purse – they want to cut public sector involvement so their chums in the private sector can clean up and make a killing.
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I don’t care whether the Tories cut to save taxpayers’ money or whether they cut to enable the private sector to invest instead (and save taxpayers’ money).
You will have noticed that both options save taxpayers’ money. So that we can spend (or save) that money in whatever way we like.
Does that really sound so terrible to you and your socialist ideologies?
The last 13 years of ‘progressive’ (socialist) politics meant we ran out of money.
What’s your solution now?
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So let me get this clear in my mind.
The E&S are complaining that phase two of the project might be delayed. Surely the story here is that phase one is on track to be completed within the stated time.
How can you report a negative story about possible delays when the developer has still not submitted plans to the council? That means that the developement has not yet been designed. I’m confused!
Does that mean that you are expressing your negative views towards the developer or the council, which one?
Anyway, I would rather that the 1st phase is finished before the developer finalises their plans for the 2nd phase.
It sound to me that the press is trying to start an arguement here when there is no arguement to be had.
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Ha, the biggest joke out.
Its convenient that this comes out now, after the elections!
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I think that as long as we get our bus and rail terminus up and running its a start in the right direction. The town is suffering at the moment, and in some places, its dangerous. I have to drive out ofTower Street to get onto Horsley Fields whilst at work and buses park across the end of the road. There’s sure to be a bump there one day, as you can’t see what’s coming.
The other things, more bars etc, can wait. We have too many already.
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2. The costs caused by delay and uncertainties are miniscule in comparison to the costs that building something that you already have and don’t really need cause.
There was nothing wrong with the old station, in fact Birmingham does pretty well without a bus station at all. Not having one actually helps to disperse the hoodies!
I wonder how much money we the taxpayer would have saved if we hadn’t ditched the electric trams in the 1950s for “modern buses”, redeveloped the bus station 6 times in 40 years, only to ditch that in 20 years time for an expanded “Midlands Metro” network that is…. you guessed it…. an electric tram.
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It doesnt matter what regeneration takes place in Wolverhampton. It will always be a third world city full of third world people. Its a pilgrimage site for chavs, those who have no ambition in life and for those who think visiting Birmingham counts as a holiday.
They should just bulldoze the place down.
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Surely with that kind of attitude it is you, and not Wolverhampton that offers no hope.
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I agree totally, which is why I am leaving both Wolverhampton and the EEC in a couple of weeks.
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Well done Rat
Hope it works out well
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Hey Connor, lets just spend, spend, spend. All the hard earned taxes paid to the previous government in THE most benign economic environment of all time have been systematically wasted. We should have pots of cash to continue projects like this but as Liam Byrne said, its all gone. Plus some, as evidenced by the biggest budget deficit of all time. Its like someone earning 100k per year for 5 years, spending 200k per year and running up a massive overdraft at the bank and then… losing their job.
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Suppose it doesn’t really matter anyway. Blue brick is half built since they can’t sell the apartments, offices and restaurants that they had planned. So what’s the point in planning to build more because then they will not sell either.
Just build the station finish the blue brick then worry about the next stage.
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This was never going to happen. 413,000 sq ft is a lot of civil service desks. No one else will want to move here. The ‘city’ is a dump along with all the routes into it. I can’t wait to leave.
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Unfortunately, with contributions like this from Wolverhampton’s ‘citizens’ what chance does it have.
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What are you saying that for making out that none of it has got planning permisson! The Bus station was granted months ago, why do the press try to twist things.
They aways stated that planning permisson for the second would phanse wouldn’t be looked into until the first phase was completed anyway!
I never even thought the bus station would get underway, and look where we are now!
This was always going to be a two phase project!
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they have no money from the goverment every thing has been tightend allso it qont be done untill the end of next year with part of the station open.
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Life is too short to wait around and see if Wolvo ever becomes a 1st world city. Better to leave and lead a better life whilst you got the chance. Wolverhampton is like prison. It turns people bad. The West Midlands was once great, with its industrial legacy. But now there is nothing. Its the worst place in the UK by far. At least Liverpool have regenerated into a great city. Birmingham doesnt deserve UK capital of culture. There is no culture in the Midlands.
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The apartments at the Blue Brick do sell but the press do more harm with negative stories.
We bought on the basis that we are 15 mins by train to Birmingam where the same kind of apartment would have cost us three times the price! Perhaps if the E&S got involved in bigging up the area instead of painting a doom and gloom scenario then potential buyers and investors may still come here.
And why would the civil service not re-locate to the area when the cost saving potential is massive? If you want to leave Wolverhampton then please leave, you may see a dump, we need people to see untapped potential and the council to realise that potential.
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If any civil servants had to work in Wolvo, they would all commute from Shrewsbury or Worcestershire. It would be bit of a culture shock living in Wolverhampton. A city with some of the highest levels of deprivation, obesity, low levels of educational attainment and a significant chunk of the people on benefits. Worst city in the Western World. Lonley Planet were so right. Glad I got out to a better place. Had enough of that jungle by the time i finished high school.
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