Exeter’s former bus station is set to be demolished
Published: 8 July 2022
The former bus station in Exeter is set to be demolished following its replacement with a brand new facility.
The 60-year-old station was replaced by the state-of-the-art new Exeter Bus Station in Bampfylde Street last year.
The former bus station is next to Exeter’s award-winning new Passivhaus leisure centre St Sidwell’s Point. The striking new bus station and leisure centre were both funded by the City Council.
In the long term the site forms part of the CityPoint regeneration plans, which will see new investment in the city centre site.
In the meantime temporary uses for the site are now being considered once demolition has taken place.
Council Leader Phil Bialyk said he welcomed the decision to demolish the old station, which opened in 1964.
He said: “I have good memories of this place - I worked here, as did my father and my good friend Pete Edwards. I have a lot of good memories of the old bus station, but it has had its day and it is time for it to go.
“We have the new bus station now and St Sidwell’s Point, which has just won two planning awards, and we are bringing this area up to modern day standards.
“We will flattened the old station and it will become a usable space for us in the short term, there could be things like markets, stalls, shops and cafes, to regenerate the area while we bring forward plans for the redevelopment of the wider CityPoint area.
“I think this will be a great location – we are redefining our city centre, and when you think that city centres are failing all around the country, Exeter is really coming back to life and we have a great offer here.”
A report to the Council’s Executive committee said it would be “easier to deliver positive interim uses of the land once the existing building has been removed”.
Members of the Executive this week approved the demolition. It is estimated that the cost will be around £900,000, which includes the safe disposal of asbestos in the building.
A funding bid has been made to the government's levelling-up fund to pay for the work.