The CABE report raises whether a bus station of any description is necessary for Preston

Stumbled across a report by CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment), on the PrestonLancs forum, which is a letter to the developers of the Tithebarne scheme for Preston city centre.

In the letter they raise concerns that the new development does not seem to have had enough thought put into how it will stitch together the old and new parts of the city, that a new bus station may be uneccesary (in fact that a bus station of any description may be unnecessary) and that the new architecture has too much of a ‘1960s monolithic feel to it’.

The summary of the document states:

We welcome the efforts to bring this part of Preston back to life and we think that the general strategies, in terms of quantum and size, are sound. The care that the design team has shown in analysing the existing city fabric in Preston is impressive.

However, we have doubts that the nature of redevelopment on this scale is capable of realising the rich potential of this analysis. While the demolition of the existing bus station, which is an important example of post-war architecture in Britain, allows the restructuring of a large part of the city centre, it also sets a high benchmark for new architectural quality. Any replacement must be able to stand the test of time in order to prevent the fate of its predecessor.

We urge the team to address the issues raised in this letter, particularly with regard to connections through the proposed development and to the areas to the north and east, the introduction of large urban blocks and the design of the new bus station.

It will be interesting to see if the developers or Preston City Council makes any official response to the issues raised by CABE.

What do you think of the report? Do you agree with it? Do you disagree with it? Let us know below!