Bishop Auckland bus station plans submitted to council

Durham County Council said the new bus station would attract visitors to the town

Plans to demolish outdoor shelters and replace them with an indoor bus station have been submitted.

Durham County Council has handed the scheme to its planning team to rule on the development in Bishop Auckland.

It hopes to build a "thriving and attractive hub" behind the Newgate shopping centre, which it bought in 2022.

However, some residents have said the council should "sort the shops out" first.

Plans for the site include eight bus stands, improved information boards and seating areas as well as three entrances and exits.

It would be constructed as part of the council's £11m grant from the government's Future High Streets Fund.

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The council said it would also see improved facilities for passengers, such as an accessible toilet and parent and child facilities.

The proposed bus station and car park would be built on the existing bus station site in Bishop Auckland

The existing site is dated and has inadequate toilets and lacks shelter from bad weather, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported.

Elizabeth Scott, cabinet member for economy and partnerships, previously said the scheme was part of "ambitious proposals to regenerate" Bishop Auckland.

She also said it would attract "everyone who lives and works in, and visits, the area".

When plans were first unveiled in March, some residents said the development could prompt redevelopment in the town, but some said there was a lack of shops.

A decision is expected later this year.