Northampton Borough Council leader to take on residents who oppose bus station demolition
Greyfriars Bus Station, Northampton, September 1975
THE LEADER of Northampton Borough Council will tomorrow face residents of the town who oppose the demolition of the Greyfriars bus station.
Councillor David Mackintosh (Con, Rectory Farm) has agreed to take part in an on-line web-chat with Chronicle & Echo readers to discuss the controversial issue.
Chron editor, David Summers, said it was hoped the debate would give residents the chance to express their views on the proposals, both for and against.
He said: “Our pages have been packed with letters about the future of the b us station over the past couple of months.
“While there have been a few people speaking in support of the plans to knock down Greyfriars, the vast majority have expressed concern about both the design of the new bus station and the actual need to get rid of Greyfriars.
“So I think Councillor Mackintosh will face some tough questioning when he takes part in the debate tomorrow and it will be very interesting to hear his views on the subject.
“From the feedback we’re getting from residents, it certainly seems like the possible demolition of Greyfriars will be a talking point in the town for many years to come,” Mr Summers added.
The demolition of the bus station would enable a large extension to the Grosvenor Centre to be built. A new bus station would be built on the site of the Fishmarket in Sheep Street.
To take part in the web-chat, visit www.northamptonchron.co.uk from 11am tomorrow.
Anyone who does not have access to the internet can submit questions by calling the Chron on Northampton 467037.
Next week, the paper will also run a two-page feature looking back at the construction of Greyfriars, which will include many photographs of the building’s development which have not been seen for more than 30 years.
Email to a friend
Print this page- BREAKING NEWS: Tributes paid to Niamh Curry as brave five-year-old loses battle against cancer
- BREAKING NEWS: Pensioner dies after collision at Northampton shopping centre
- Man tied to tree and beaten on Northampton Racecourse
- BREAKING NEWS: Woman’s body found after ‘suicide’ in Northampton hotel room
- BREAKING NEWS: Seven-year-old boy dies following house fire in Northamptonshire
- Northampton binmen at ‘breaking point’
- Staff strike at Northampton school over academy plans forces closure
- Saints’ stadium plans get support as long as traffic issues solved
- Eastern European pupils helping school standards across Northampton
- Exclusive: PM David Cameron says Northamptonshire Police Commissioner role is “a big job for a big local figure”
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Northampton
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
Comments
There are 23 comments to this article
Page 1 of 2
WagTheDog
Friday, February 24, 2012 at 11:29 PMI WOULD LIKE TO READ WHAT THIS WEB CHAT PRODUCED. WHY ISN'T THERE A LINK TO IT ON THIS SITE?????
WagTheDog
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 10:48 PM"The demolition of the bus station would enable a large extension to the Grosvenor Centre to be built." Wow! Are Legal & General aware of this?
fxtown
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 05:24 PMI wonder what figures they work on.This might be a good question to ask, what fraction of town visitors arrive by bus? If they merely catch another bus out they don't really count; some will arrive by car, and some will live locally.So what fraction come on the bus, and how does this in turn translate in terms of retail spend?So what are bus users worth to our town centre economy? It might be that 20% arrive by bus and this in turn translates to 15% of retail spend.We have a population of 200k but a majority don't even use the town, and a lot of money that should be ours trots to MK. I'm sure that if asked are these figures available the answer would be no, but there must be some assumed figures that are being used.Perhaps this could be tonights homework for cllr Macintosh?I think i'm in favour of the proposal, but would love some nice clean logic help clear the doubts.Figures are good.I'm sure if the bus users did push for a judicial review they would expect to see a few figures that drove the decisions.
Alabaster
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 04:16 PMI think the discussion on whether the current bus station will be kept is a moot point. The bus station is going regardless of what party in controlling the borough council. Perhaps we should be concentrating on getting design improvements on the new one to make it a better for passengers. A smaller station can work so long as buses enter and leave on schedule.
Chrispy1
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 03:34 PMIt's a hidious monstrosity, filthy and dangerous. And its very existance gives Legal & General all they excuses they need to not bother re-developing the ridiculously small and out-of-date Grosvenor Center. Knock it down yesterday!
SteveRiches
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 03:32 PMOnly what Legal and General want will be granted: local voters will have no say whatsoever in this farce.
TeddyMcnabb
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 02:58 PMDear Leader of N.B.C STORMS out of county hall after being refused twice to speak by tory chairman, schisms schisms
Steve-FC
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 02:48 PMBouncer - you have just justified my whole message. Tell me how "keeping tthe status quo" will improve the town for your children & grand children in years to come? It is not just about the current bus users, do not be selfish and look at the bigger picture. I do not use th ebus to town, becuase I go to MK. I woudl rather use the bus into my town though.
bouncer
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 02:39 PMSo many of these comments are obviously not written by regular users of the bus station - rather by pompous individuals who seem to somehow think they no what is best for PEOPLE. I use the bus station six days a week and can tell you categorically that the majority of those in my situation see this proposal as rubbish. It wont even be a "proper" bus station ,only a relatively small covered area with the rest sread out over the Drapery.Find me one other such "station" over the whole of the UK- if you can.
Steve-FC
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 01:40 PMI fail to understand why this should be opposed. People are thinking of one thing - themselves and naturally do not like change. The only people with a downside to the proposals are current bus users, the 2 downsides I can see are : 1. You will have a couple of hundred more yards to walk 2. You might get wet I would answer these 2 pluses with : 1. It makes more people walk through the market, and past other shops on the Drapery. 2. These same people must already have a coat as they had to catch the bus to start with. The upside to demolishing the building are for the rest of us: 1. A far more attractive and cleaner bus depot won't put people off using it 2. A more open, bright and less daunting bus station for venerable people on their own 3. A chance to give the shopping centre a massive face-lift will stop Northamptonians going to MK 4. It will also bring in people from outside the town. I can't imagine many people choose to visit today? 5. Numbers 1,2,3 & 4 = more jobs = more money in the town = a better town. 6. Number 5 = further development in the town, such as a theatre district maybe? Guys, we all need to decide what we think is best for the future generations of the town. So by all means tell me you want the bus station to remain, but then tell me how it helps the town in the next 10,20 or 30 years?
Comment Removed
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 01:19 PMI won't be bothering to take part. The decision has already been made and whatever the public thinks on the bus station or any other matter of concern is of no interest to Monkeytosh whatsoever. I am sure he has a grand plan, but the people of Northampton don't figure in it other than to "Vote Monkeytosh"
Annie01
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 12:31 PMWhat does it matter what we think. The council will do whatever they want anyway.
zaphod
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 12:00 PM"Debate" isn't the way. You win debates because you are good at arguing, not because you are right. The result of this debate won't change the plan. The existing station works, and when you actually use it, you can't see the outside. The interior can be fixed.
fxtown
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 11:56 AMI can't think of anything more representative than an online chat of chron readers, where would eileenM suggest it takes place, birmingham library?The question isn't even about for and against, it's such things as are we doing the right thing even if we knew for an absolute certaintity that major retail development will not go ahead? Are we saying there is no longer a future need for as many buses in the town centre?Are town centres yesterdays planning anyway?Greyfriars was built when speculators thought there was a huge need for town centre office space.Much of what they created has stood empty ever since.Today's assumption is retail but that could prove just as wrong.
.~* JEZ *~.
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 11:03 AMI think the people of Northampton deserve greyfriars bus station. Let 'em have it forever. I'm out of here!
Page 1 of 2
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.