Plans have been submitted for the new Huddersfield Bus Station complete with a canopy and “living roof.”

West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Kirklees Council have applied for planning permission and have released computer-generated images of what the new bus station could look like.

The plans have been delayed several years and back in 2022 the latest estimate was that a planning application would be submitted in summer 2023 with an 18-month scheme due to be completed by winter 2025.

The cost of the project back then was £20 million with £19 million coming from the Combined Authority via the Government’s Transforming Cities Fund and £1 million from Kirklees Council.

The bus station, opened in 1974, is owned by West Yorkshire Combined Authority while the multi-storey car park above is owned by Kirklees Council.

 

 

 

The planning application says work will be carried out in two phases. Phase 1 will see the inside of the bus station completely re-designed and revamped with a new curtain wall, concourse seating, new tiling and flooring and improvements to shopfronts.

There will also be what’s described as a “metal plank curled ceiling” which will run the length of the passenger concourse to create a “bright and vibrant” look.

The current 25 bus stands will be reduced to 21 and the existing travel centre, security office and drivers’ rest areas will all be improved.

New passenger information display screens will be installed and there will be clear signage, sound enhancement systems, audio alerts and braille to help those who are visually-impaired or hard of hearing.

Floors, walls and ceilings will avoid bold colours and complex geometric patterns to foster a calm environment.

Part of the exterior wall and some of the façade facing Macaulay Square will be rebuilt in a kind of natural stone to match the sandstone of nearby Victorian buildings.

All main entrance doors will be automatic and there will be “slip resistant” floor finishes to counter perceptions that the floor is “slippery.”

 

Phase 2 will be centred on improving the outside of the bus station with the main frontage in Upperhead Row having a “contemporary sheltered canopy” with a living roof of grass or shrubs. It will also incorporate solar panel glass.

A screen or mesh will prevent people climbing onto the canopy roof from the upper levels of the car park.

All the shopfronts will be improved and under the far end of the canopy there’ll be a cycle hub for bike storage with lockers for helmets and clothing.

The bus station design has been created by Huddersfield architects AHR and Leeds-based Stephen George & Partners and a planning statement says: “The design ethos of this scheme is to provide a contemporary and striking appearance using a palette of natural materials that will ultimately attract more people to the site and help them feel more comfortable using the bus station to travel around West Yorkshire.”

The statement says the canopy will “enhance the overall appearance of the bus station, concealing the multi-storey car park’s long grey concrete façade and contribute to a more attractive public realm.”

There was extensive public consultation in summer 2021 when it was suggested the bus station could include a GP’s surgery or health clinic but that’s not in the new proposals.

There’s no updated timescales for when the development might take place and the plans are subject to a period of public consultation until September 26 2024. The earliest date for planning approval is estimated as November 21 2024.

Have a look back and see how the plans for Huddersfield Bus Station have changed since 2021 HERE and below.

More new images of £20m Huddersfield Bus Station as councillors ask questions over ‘grass roof’ and undulating canopy