The start of work on the long-awaited new £28 million Huddersfield Bus Station could be just weeks away.

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which is providing the bulk of the funding, is set to give the final go ahead at a meeting this week.

The combined authority says it’s hoped work will start on May 4 2026 with completion due in April 2028.

The cost of the bus station has spiralled since it was first announced in 2021. At that time the cost was estimated at £9 million but by October 2022 the cost had doubled to £19.9 million.

The projected costs continued to rise and plans had to be scaled back before a final figure of £28,035,799 was settled upon. The scheme includes a £2.5 million contingency to cover unexpected costs or rising prices.

A report to the combined authority says Huddersfield is the largest bus station in West Yorkshire and the scheme has proved “complex.”

Work is currently underway outside to divert the utilities and that alone has cost £1 million.

Image by: Virtual Huddersfield

Kirklees Council owns the car park above the bus station and is carrying out refurbishments which had to be completed before work could start on the bus station.

The main feature of the new bus station will be a sweeping entrance canopy which will have a ‘living roof’ comprising of grasses and wildflowers and also 96 solar panels to generate electricity.

As part of the cost-cutting, the size of the canopy had to be reduced and plans for a cycle hub were scrapped.

Kirklees Council, which is contributing £2 million to the overall scheme with the combined authority picking up the tab for the rest, will carry out work on the roof canopy, covered walkway, cycle stands, shop fronts and the wider public space. The cost of the canopy and exterior works alone is £6.5 million.

The combined authority report says the scheme is “complex” because the bus station is sited above two railway tunnels.

The work also has to be phased around ongoing works in and around Huddersfield Railway Station as part of the TransPennine Route Upgrade and also to ensure that the bus station remains fully operational throughout.

Inside, the bus station will have new seating, lighting, flooring and signage along with real time bus and rail information screens, upgraded CCTV and fully accessible changing places and toilets.

The external areas where buses park and manoeuvre will be resurfaced and bus bays will be reconfigured to improve accessibility.

Under the plans a new ‘crew room’ for drivers and staff will be built within the bus station. Currently a separate building outside is leased by the combined authority so that will save an estimated £700,000 on what they would have paid over a 20-year lease.

The report says: “The scheme is seeking to address the poor quality of the existing bus station environment, with inadequate passenger facilities, high levels of crime and anti-social behaviour and ongoing operational capacity and maintenance constraints.

“It has been in development for a considerable period of time, reflecting the challenges of the construction environment, including the need to maintain an operational bus station during construction, and the requirements to significantly improve the accessibility and quality of the bus station environment for all users.”

Despite the £28 million price tag the report says the costs of Huddersfield Bus Station “compare positively and demonstrate value for money” when compared with other recent bus station developments in Halifax, Dewsbury and Heckmondwike.

The final go-ahead will be given at the combined authority meeting on Thursday March 12 in Leeds.

See more images of the new Huddersfield Bus Station HERE.