Bus parking plans in Wolverhampton city centre reviewed

Plans for buses to park up at a Wolverhampton city centre car park before they pick up passengers, resulting in the loss of 75 spaces, have been revised, it was revealed today.

Transport bosses unveiled the plans to use Broad Street car park as a waiting area for buses once a new £22 million bus station is created.

But it today emerged that bosses are now instead looking at using a coach park at Faulkland Crescent, which is already being used as a temporary measure. An official says this has proved acceptable and makes sense.

Steve Swingler, spokesman for public transport authority Centro, said: "As part of the redevelopment of Wolverhampton bus station, planning permission has already been given for part of the Broad Street car park to be used as a bus layover facility.

"However, the interchange partners felt there would be benefits to identifying alternative locations for the facility in order to provide greater flexibility and a range of options from which to choose the optimum site.

"One possible alternative would be to use part of the coach car park in Faulkland Crescent.

"This location is already being used as a temporary layover facility while construction work on the new interchange proceeds.

"The site has so far proved acceptable and it therefore makes sense to put that forward as an alternative to the Broad Street site."

Plans have now been submitted to Wolverhampton City Council to make Faulkland Crescent the permanent waiting site for buses.

Mr Swingler said: "A planning application has now been drawn up by the city's highways officers for a layover area catering for up to six buses as well as toilets, an office and rest area for drivers."

The £22m bus station development is being carried out as part of the wider £176m Interchange scheme to link it to the railway station and create a canalside hub of homes and bars.

Plans to use the Faulkland Crescent site are expected to be decided on by mid October.