Work to begin on £13.5m bus station redevelopment

St Margaret’s Bus Station in Leicester will close to the public later this month, as work begins on its major £13.5m redevelopment.

Leicester City Council is planning to rebuild the existing bus station and revamp surrounding streets as part of a major scheme to regenerate this part of the city centre.

The St Margaret’s Bus Station building will close to the public from 7pm on Thursday 31 December, so work to prepare it for demolition can begin.

National Express coach services will continue to operate from St Margaret’s, with temporary offices and stops in place.

County bus services will also continue to operate from temporary stops located on Gravel Street, close to its junction with Church Gate, Charles Street and Abbey Street. All changes will be clearly signposted, says Leicester City Council. The temporary changes will be in place from Friday 1 January 2021.

The works will require the closure of Gravel Street, between its junctions with Sandacre Street and Abbey Street. Clearly signed diversions will be in place. Access for pedestrians will be unaffected.

Demolition work will be carried out on behalf of the city council by DSM Demolition – the same company that carried the demolition of New Walk Centre. Work is expected to take around four months, with construction on the new building due to begin by late-spring 2021.

The striking new bus station building will be glazed from floor to ceiling and feature a striking curved aluminium roof that appears to float above the main concourse hall.

Bus passengers will see a completely redesigned and improved internal layout with a new café, seating and real-time digital passenger information. There will also be increased capacity for national and regional bus services, with the number of bays increased from 18 to 24.

A series of energy efficiency and renewable energy measures will help make the new bus station a carbon neutral building. It is believed that this would be the first bus station to be built to net zero carbon standards in the UK.

Electric bus charging points will be installed, and the new building will feature secure storage for up to 150 bikes.

Improvements to footpaths and roads immediately surrounding the bus station are also proposed, with better facilities for pedestrians and cyclists, new landscaping and tree planting, and better and safer crossings to soften the impact of the ring road. This council says this will help strengthen and improve links between key development sites and the city centre, including the new Savoy Street which will link the new St Margaret’s and Haymarket bus stations.

Deputy city mayor for environment and transportation councillor Adam Clarke said: “These exciting plans to replace St Margaret’s Bus Station with a striking, new and carbon neutral building will signal the beginning of a revival of this part of the city.

“The award of over £10 million of government cash is a huge endorsement of the importance of this scheme. It will provide a huge boost for sustainable transport, help regenerate a run down but important gateway into Leicester and attract further private investment into the city.

“I’m confident that the necessary short-term disruption for bus users will be more than worth it in the long run.”