Rebuild of old bus depot given green light
Azuora ArchitectsA bus company's plans to build a "depot of the future" to improve public transport services for passengers have been approved.
Stagecoach North East had asked for permission to build a replacement depot off Portrack Lane and Church Road in Stockton.
The plans include a three-storey office building which will house a staff gym, canteen, roof terrace and a "think tank" space for engineers.
Stockton Council approved the plans with conditions.
Stagecoach said the proposal was meant to modernise the site and install equipment to electrify 66 buses.
The development will replace "worn and dated bus depot buildings" deemed too large to serve any purpose, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Stagecoach said that, once knocked down, the old buildings would make room for a "smaller, more efficient depot building", freeing up space for a larger yard with bus wash facilities and fast-fix lanes, with parking reduced from 77 to 48 spaces.
Town planner Emily Floeser wrote in a planning statement: "The existing depot is in poor condition and would require extensive and costly modifications to be retained."
She added the "purpose-built facility" reflected "the ambitions of a 'depot of the future'".
"The development responds to the identified need for modernised infrastructure to support economic growth and employment," Floeser wrote.
