Residents demand action now for a new bus station for Worksop

Several took to the floor to give their views on why the town is long overdue a new station to replace the current Hardy Street facility.

The meeting at the Salvation Army Hall was organised by the Bassetlaw and Sherwood Liberal Democrats.

Lib Dem campaign manager Leon Duveen called on those attending to let Bassetlaw Council and Notts County Council know that ‘we want a new bus station.’

“We need to keep the pressure up on them,” he said.

Mr Duveen said the issue of getting a new bus station should not be made political.

He added: “It should be an issue for the town. For a number of years nobody has stood up for Worksop.”

During the meeting several possible sites were mooted, with the majority of people agreeing that the current Stagecoach garage on Hardy Street would be the ideal location for a new bus station.

One resident said: “Everyone keeps saying it’s a garage. It isn’t, it’s a bus station.”

“We want somewhere that is comfortable, clean and safe.”

“At this moment in time Hardy Street isn’t safe.”

He said the area is an accident waiting to happen, with buses and cars double parking and no crossing facility.

He added: “It’s not about point scoring. It’s about getting a bus station for Worksop.”

Another resident added: “We don’t have a bus station, it’s a street. It’s about time they (the councils) get together and sort it out.”

Coun Richard Jackson, Notts County Council Cabinet Member for Transport and Highways, was unable to attend the meeting and sent his apologies.

A message from Coun Jackson was read out at the meeting which said the county council has had a ‘very positive and constructive meeting’ to progress and that it is ‘working hard behind the scenes to acquire property and finalise a design.’

He added that the council had budgeted for design work for the bus station in 2012/13, which it is already carrying out.

Stagecoach were also invited to the meeting but were unable to attend.

Mr Duveen read out a message from Dave Skepper, the commercial director of Stagecoach East Midlands, which said they would be willing to vacate the Hardy Street if a replacement facility was part of a deal to build a bus station.