£4m to create a good impression
MORE than £4 million will be spent transforming the area outside Stoke railway station and providing a high speed bus link to the city centre.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council is currently in talks with six property owners who own frontages to Winton Square, in Stoke, over its revived Station Gateway project.
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SPRUCE UP: Winton Square.
New figures show the authority expects to spend £4.1 million on the plans, which will also see a significantly improved public transport link between the station, Staffordshire University and the city centre.
A total of £1.5 million will be ploughed into improving Winton Square and Station Road to create a better first impression for visitors exiting the city's main station.
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Features are likely to incorporate new seating areas and lighting, and could also include public art or a fountain.
Measures to improve the transport link between the station and Hanley could include the removal of speed bumps on College Road.
Funding for the project will be topped up by a successful bid for £4.9 million in Government cash to cut congestion and improve the region's bus links, as reported by The Sentinel yesterday.
It follows several years of complaints from business leaders that commuters and visitors arriving at the station do not understand how to get to the city centre.
Talks are also ongoing with Network Rail over improvements to the station and a new use for the goods yard on Station Road.
Traders' group the City Centre Partnership welcomed the investment but said full consultation is needed to make sure every business benefits.
Spokesman Doug Wardle said: "It is very confusing for visitors who come out of the station into no man's land. This is desperately needed.
"There should be allowances for discussions with existing businesses.
"They will have to consider whether the buses go straight to the new bus station, which would benefit City Sentral but disadvantage Potteries Shopping Centre, or around the whole ring road."
Mavis Brown, of North Staffordshire public transport users' group Aces, said: "The main issue will be solving the general problem of traffic congestion on Station Road. If they are able to do that I think everything else will fall into place."
Delays to the project were compounded when the Government wound up Renew North Staffordshire, which was originally set to fund the high speed link.
The Station Gateway plans are considered pivotal to the ongoing regeneration of the city centre, where council leaders expect visitor numbers to swell significantly as a result of developments like the £350 million City Sentral shopping complex.
Comments
by Mr_Jingles
Friday, June 29 2012, 7:05PM
“Hang on a minute isn't Winton Square a conservation area?
You may recall a few years ago that the city council spent a tidy sum putting in authentic traffic lights and other road furniture, is this now to be removed? What a waste.
Yes, a full consultation must be undertaken before this Council gets its greasy paws on the area. We don't want this area looking too futuristic like the stupid Ceramica design, nor some tinpot design which will ruin the site. This council has no idea what it is doing, waste of money if you ask me.”
by camband
Friday, June 29 2012, 6:18PM
“No comment from a Stoke Station Taxi Proprietor/Driver yet....? It''ll kill their pig.”
by shufti
Friday, June 29 2012, 4:51PM
“No wonder people are confused when arriving at Stoke station, most would think that the centre of Stoke-on-Trent would be obviously be Stoke, it dosn't take a genius to work that out. Local people are used to the stupidity of this council making Hanley the city centre of Stoke-on-Trent but outsiders are not.”
by Dizzy1960
Friday, June 29 2012, 3:36PM
“Exactly Jeff1531
Why can't they develop the business district in Stoke instead of putting another supermarket in the town? Main Road routes are already in place and wouldn't cause a future problem of conjestion, unlike the Hanley plan and the Railway Station would then be in the ideal place for visitors and with the walkway from the station and linking College Rd, would suit all concerned. Except Stoke-on-Trent City Council and the oik' wanting to continue with the manipulation of Stoke-upon-Trent for GREED.
Apark@Stoke4LUZ
honi soit qui mal y pense”
by LeighinHanley
Friday, June 29 2012, 3:19PM
“I'm interested where lagu2 plans to run and station trams considering there are few places in Hanley you could site a tram station, the route from Hanley to Burslem/Tunstall (utlising the old Greenways?) is blocked by Dimensions and would also require tunnel work, Stoke would be very difficult to access from Hanley without bridges over the A500 and Longton and Fenton have now developed to a point where I doubt trams could be stationed or routed.
A series of circular buses that just serve the main bus stations/interchanges/bus stops in each town, with a service also going over the Newcastle Under Lyme, would be a far better way forward don't you think?”
by adamg4
Friday, June 29 2012, 3:11PM
“the tram idea would be great, have them powered by overhead electric lines and have them go up College Road? Would surely cost a lot though and wouldn't help cut down the congestion either.
Its a shame the road couldn't be widened, knocking down some the buildings would help but i'm sure the businesses down there wouldn't like that one! Be interesting to see what can be done as it needs doing and will of benefit.
It's a shame where the train station is in relation to Hanley, but there's nothing we can do now.
Jeff1531, Hanley has become the City Centre, whether we like it or not, and Stoke town centre needs to be forgotten about in this process in my opinion. SoT is unique for its towns but that is also a drawback, it needs the one centre like bigger cities have. I also agree with the Council moving to Hanley as well to help make it that way.”
by lagu2
Friday, June 29 2012, 1:46PM
“i keep saying BRING THE TRAMS BACK, LINK THE 6 TOWNS TOGETHER AND THE TRAIN STATION AND BUS STATION, JOB DONE”
by nhsnurse
Friday, June 29 2012, 1:06PM
“more wasted money by s-o-t city council-no doubt a ridiculous art feature will be commissioned and built that will cost far too much, it does need a little facelift, but why waste so much money?!”
by Notanumber
Friday, June 29 2012, 1:04PM
“Are they giving the train companies some of the money so they can fit automatically shutting blinds that operate on both approaches to the station?”
by Anon_mow_cop
Friday, June 29 2012, 12:38PM
“Like lagu2 I nearly fell over laughing at the phrase "high speed bus link", that journey from Stoke to Hanley is one the slowest I know. The only good idea was to take out the road humps, they are a blight for road users.I can see most road humps gone in a few years when they are seen to be next to useless and kill off trade to shops and businesses.I suggest the city fathers go to Holland or Germany to see how a properly intergrated transport system works.”