Greyfriars bus station: West Northamptonshire Council plans £250,000 spend

Greyfriars was demolished in March 2015 but the site has been derelict ever since

A council could spend up to £250,000 to develop plans for the site of a bus station dubbed the "mouth of hell".

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) said the former Greyfriars bus station, demolished in 2015, was "the largest brownfield opportunity" in the area.

The council said the town centre site "boasts a prime location".

It is hoped plans for the development of the derelict site could include homes, shops, a new park, leisure facilities and a coach interchange.

WNC hopes to to appoint a contractor by September with the aim of developing a vision for the site by next spring.

A £250,000 budget was advertised on the bidstats website, which authorities use to publicise contracts.

The Conservative-controlled authority said it will engage with the community and businesses before holding a public consultation later.

WNC councillor Dan Lister said: "The project has the opportunity to deliver a step-change for the area, increasing footfall to support local business, attract new inward investment and create a place which all can be proud of.

"We look forward to working with our residents and businesses to bring them along this journey with us."

Mouth of hell

Greyfriars bus station was demolished in March 2015 after it had dominated the town's skyline for nearly 40 years.

It opened in 1976 and was described by commentators at the time as a "feat of engineering".

The building was once described as being "like a great big mouth of hell" by Channel 4 presenter and designer Kevin McCloud.