Tuesday, May 23, 2017

News: Views sought on £12.5m bus station refurb

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Views are being sought on proposed improvements as part of the wider refurbishment work at Rotherham Interchange, long awaited work which has been delayed by discussions over the site's future use, and a fire that caused significant damage.

Architects at Jefferson Sheard are well underway with latest plans for the bus station, which also includes a multi-storey car park and retail units.

Work is likely to include refreshing the concourses with upgrades to flooring, plinths, glazing and cladding. It is not yet clear if the budget will stretch to replacing the cladding on the outside of the car park with stainless steel or highly durable anodised mesh panels which previous architects said would "softly shimmer as the sunlight is cast upon it."

Partners decided last year to focus on refurbishing the car park and bus station rather than a large scale redevelopment. Opened in 1971, the multi storey car park has since developed widespread defects. It is underutilised and "nearing the point of being beyond economic repair." The bus station, which has associated public safety issues, suffered a fire in 2016 which caused significant damage.

Plans were approved in 2014 for the detailed design of the renovation and re-cladding of the four-storey car park. However, the start date of the refurbishment was delayed following a decision to further investigate alternative development options on the site.

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Following the fire, essential remedial work included repairs to platform A, the windows, public toilets, offices and electrical cables affecting the lighting, customer information systems, automatic doors, and the passenger lift.

Drop-in sessions are being held this week at Rotherham Interchange to gain customer comments on proposed improvements.

Stephen Edwards, executive director at SYPTE, said: "We would like to thank our customers for their patience whilst the ongoing repair works are being carried out at Rotherham Interchange. The project team continue to work hard behind the scenes to maintain the operation of the Interchange whilst keeping customer disruption to a minimum.

"We are keen for as many customers as possible to speak to our representatives at the Interchange on the drop-in dates, and have their say on our refurbishment plans as they progress, to make sure improvements we make best meet passenger needs."

In March, Rothbiz reported that the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority (CA) is preparing to borrow £12.5m so that refurbishment of the important town centre asset can be carried out.

Pre-application discussions with the Council identify the architect's scope of works and possible outcomes to improve the building's appearance, and to improve personal safety and the customer offer and experience. It provides a "shopping list" of the types of materials that could be used and ideas for a new customer service facility.

SYPTE website

Images: Jefferson Sheard


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