Plans rev up for new Preston bus depot to bring 108-year-old site up to date

Plans for one big building to replace old workshops in Deepdale Road have been recommended for approval by planning officers.

The ornate stone frontage of the company's headquarters will remain - there are plans to convert that into four apartments. Some of the other buildings, which date back to the First World War, have already been demolished to make way for the redevelopment. And the project could slip quickly into top gear if the city council's planning committee gives it the nod on Thursday.

Why is the scheme needed?

A report to the committee says the old depot does not "suit the requirements of 21st century public transport." It adds that due to their age they are "not currently a safe working environment with potential vehicle movement hazards."

Parent company Rotala says: "The buildings are of considerable age and are in a poor state of repair. They are uneconomic and unsustainable to operate as they do not provide the correct arrangement for the unique servicing and repairing of buses."

What will the new depot offer staff?

The report says the proposed 55mx30m depot will be "designed to suit a modern-day operation” and will house the offices all within one unit.

"The building has been designed to maximise the open space within the site's boundaries, protect an existing culverted watercourse that crosses the site and ensure that the nearby residential developments are not subjected to (more) noise disturbance than currently experienced.

"The site's access off the public highway has been designed to improve flows into and from the depot as well as providing an access to a small parcel of commercial land that will be developed later subject to a separate planning application. The building has been designed to be both functional and fit for purpose for its proposed use.”

The new depot will have 128 parking spaces for buses and 79 car parking bays for staff, management and visitors, with an additional 40 during the day when buses are out on their routes. The company will reconfigure the entrance on Deepdale Road and provide landscaping with trees and shrubs.

What about the future of the stone-fronted office building facing Deepdale Road?

The company says: "The offices used in connection with the workshops are in a separate building, are uniquely configured and are devoid from the main depot. They are not suited for the modern-day operation of the bus depot.

"The building is in a poor state of repair requiring roof repairs. The building is expensive to heat and not considered sustainable.” It adds that the frontage will “later be subject to a separate planning submission for a change of use to residential."

What is the bus depot's history?

Originally a horse tram operation, an electric tram depot was first constructed on the site in 1904 and operated until the last tram ran in December 1935. Buses were first housed on the site from 1922.

Preston Council owned the bus company until it sold it in a management buy-out in 1993. In 2009, Preston Bus was bought out by national bus operator Stagecoach. Current owner Rotala bought the company in 2011 and now has a fleet of 120 vehicles and 260 staff.