New Exeter Bus Station shortlisted for top award
Published: 24 September 2021
The new Exeter bus Station has been shortlisted for a prestigious regional award.
The facility has been shortlisted in the Building of the Year over £5m category of the Michelmores Property Awards.
The new bus station, which is operated by Stagecoach, opened in July and was funded by Exeter City Council, together with £800,000 from the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership.
It features a covered waiting area for passengers and modern facilities throughout.
Council Leader Phil Bialyk said he was delighted with the recognition of the quality of the building.
He said: “Exeter now has a new bus station with modern facilities which is fit for purpose for the millions of passengers it will serve every year.
“It is an important first gateway into the city for a lot of passengers, and we now have a bus station that the whole city can be very proud of.
“It is right next to our new leisure centre St Sidwell’s Point, and is perfectly placed to bring passengers right to the door of this amazing new facility when it opens shortly.”
He added: “This previously underused area is being transformed, and I am delighted that the new bus station has opened successfully and has already been shortlisted for an award.”
Doug Lloyd, Operations Director, Kier Construction Western & Wales, said: “We are delighted the new bus station in Exeter has been shortlisted for this prestigious award. It’s testament to the collaboration of all involved, the consultants, Exeter City Council, Southern Construction Framework, our skilled teams and local supply chain partners and also the local community who provided value feedback for the new building.
“The new bus station has been designed to be accessible to all, spacious and light and we are extremely proud to have delivered this building which is a vital gateway to Exeter city and the South West.”
The new station provides 12 bus stands, an enclosed concourse for passengers, public toilets, digital information display boards as well as ‘back of house’ staff facilities, including staff canteen, showers and lockers.
The glass frontage provides a clean, modern welcome to the centre with St Sidwell’s Point as the backdrop.
The building height was designed to fit with the wider master plan for the area that includes new buildings of height surrounding the area, and provides a sense of arrival and space for people using the facilities.
Accessibility was integral to the scheme and included consultation with the RNIB and accessibility groups. The design including considerations of colour schemes that assist way finding and help to enable access for all.
There is complete level access from bay doors to the bus’s and throughout the facility.