Is there gold at the end of the rainbow for Preston Bus Station?

Lancashire County Council are poised to make a major announcement about investment in Preston Bus Station.

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Preston City Council leader Peter Rankin has indicated his County Hall counterpart, Jennifer Mein, is due to announce a multi-million refurbishment of the building.

Councillor Rankin tweeted an announcement was due at 5pm on Monday but has now been put back to 7am on Tuesday 28 October with Mein due to be on BBC Radio Lancashire to talk about the proposals.

The county council have remained silent on their plans for the grade-II building since its transfer, for £1, from Preston City Council in May.

Meanwhile county councillor Matthew Tomlinson has revealed part of the plan.

In a tweet, the cabinet member for children, schools and young people, said the Preston Youth Zone Plus is due to be housed within the Bus Station. He called it “great news”.

Delighted to be able to announce that Preston Youth Zone Plus to be housed in iconic Bus station building. Great newsY

— Matthew Tomlinson (@CllrMTomlinson) October 27, 2014

The Youth Zone is a charity which provides activities and help to young people in the city.

Earlier on Monday afternoon Peter Rankin tweeted to indicate “estimates show that PCC was right about costings” which adds weight to a reveal by the Lancashire Evening Post that the repair bill could cost far more than £10 million.

@pcc_leader Apologies I got it wrong. She's on at 7 am.

— Peter Rankin (@pcc_leader) October 27, 2014

This has led to criticism from Conservative county councillors who argue the Bus Station is receiving a lions-share of transport funding from other areas of Lancashire.

The county council is known to have £8.3 million earmarked for repairs and refurbishment of the building.

Preston Bus Station became a listed building in September 2013 after a third attempt by campaigners to have it listed for its brutalist architectural style.

This forced Preston City Council to u-turn on its previous plan to demolish the building, after it rejected a £1 bid from local businessman Simon Rigby – who has now bought the Guild Hall from the city council for an undisclosed sum.

A full report on Bus Station plans is due to be published on the county council website, as it is listed for discussion at an executive scrutiny committee meeting on Tuesday 4 November at County Hall.

Mein is due on BBC Radio Lancashire from 7am on Tuesday to discuss the proposals. We will certainly be tuning in.

What do you think about the Youth Zone proposal? Will you be listening to Mein’s announcement? Let us know your views in the comments below