The iconic building splits opinion in the city over what to do with it

The man in charge of the city council’s coffers has spoken out about the future of Preston Bus Station.

Cabinet member for resources councillor Martyn Rawlinson, in a blog post for Blog Preston, writes of how he thinks there is one last chance for the bus station.

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Cllr Rawlinson thinks the building could be run by a charitable trust with funding from Preston City Council and Lancashire County Council.

He writes: “I believe the last hope for Preston Bus Station is the creation of a charitable trust. A group of dedicated professionals with the time and the expertise to take on this challenge with a dowry from the two councils.

“It would only be possible if the second opinion on the renovation costs suggested that the old bus station could be made fit for purpose and profitable for the same cost as a new one; even then it would need a full structural survey with a favourable outcome.

“It would also need the currently incoherent and disparate ‘save the bus station’ campaigners to form a singular voice and vision…in other words, a miracle of biblical proportions.”

The Bus Station will be demolished if no one comes forward to take it on after councillors voted in December to take the wrecking ball to it.

Leader of the council Peter Rankin hinted there are private businesses interested in the building, but Cllr Rawlinson says it’s very unlikely anyone will now come forward.

You can read Cllr Rawlinson’s opinion piece here.

What do you think of Cllr Rawlinson’s ideas? Let us know in the comments below