Exeter's former bus station to be demolished

Demolishing the old bus station will cost £900,000

The former bus station in Exeter is to be demolished after short-term uses for the building were ruled out by the city council.

The station was replaced by a new facility on Bampfylde Street last year.

Exeter City Council said it would be "easier to deliver positive interim uses of the land once the existing building has been removed".

Longer-term the site forms part of the 'CityPoint' regeneration plans agreed in 2019 to redevelop the wider area.

The council's ruling executive approved the demolition at its meeting on Tuesday, estimating the cost to be about £900,000, largely because of asbestos in the building.

A bid is being made to the government's levelling-up fund to pay for the work, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) reported.

The council said a vacant site would allow "a range of 'meanwhile' uses to animate the area" next to the leisure centre while future redevelopment was prepared.

An outdoor market is one potential use, but no decisions have been made.

"The alternative approach will be to hoard and mothball the site," a council report said.

"This is estimated to cost around £150,000 as an upfront hoarding and CCTV costs with ongoing security costs of £20,000 per annum - and the continuing rates liability," the report continued.

"This would also prevent our being able to explore the full range of meanwhile uses whilst the CityPoint scheme moves forward."

Backing the plan, Councillor Martin Pearce said the site "clearly sticks out as something that needs some progress on when you look around it".

The timescale is still being finalised but the council hopes to start work before the winter.