A special celebration has marked the completion of Preston Bus Station‘s revamp.
Major redevelopments have been taking place on the Grade II listed building after it was purchased by Lancashire County CouncilĀ from Preston City Council (for Ā£1) in 2015.
Renovations to the iconic 50-year-old landmark include a brand new coach station, fully refurbished cafe, new toilets, new ramps and improved car park.
Read more:Ā What Prestonianās made of The Guardianās glowing Preston Bus Station review
The glass panels on the bus station have also been replaced and are still in-keeping with the Grade II listed status.
A special ceremony saw three 1960’s buses visit the station, including an old Fishwicks bus that was in use around the time the bus station first opened.
VIP guests arrived on board the buses, including council leader Geoff Driver, cabinet member for highways, the architect for the bus station redevelopment, representatives from the bus station contractors, city council representatives and others.
In celebration of the grand reopening, a special plaque was unveiled to mark the momentous event.
There’s still other work to do as part of the bigger plans for the site, including the youth zone and the new public square on the former bus apron, but the reopening was an important milestone for the project.
Architect John Puttick was the mastermind behind the project.
He said: “It was really exciting taking on the role as architect for Preston Bus Station. I was thrilled.
“There have been some challenges, especially at first as locally there was a lot of debate and strong feelings around its regeneration.
“However once there was a plan agreed, the biggest challenge was technical issues and the fact the station stayed open.
“But now that is has all finished, I am delighted. It’s one thing on paper, and another actually being stood here.
“It’s especially great that people are in here and it’s busy.”
You can see our Facebook Live of the grand reopening here:
https://www.facebook.com/blogpreston/videos/1980091658670734/
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