Longton Bus Station Partial Demolition Aims to Reduce Antisocial Behavior

A bus terminal is slated for partial demolition as part of an initiative to enhance the premises and mitigate anti-social conduct. Plans from the city council indicate that over half of the canopy at Longton Bus Station, located in Stoke-on-Trent, may be removed, decreasing the facility’s nine bus stands to four. Following the demolition, the remaining sections of the station are scheduled for refurbishment, incorporating new lighting and enhanced CCTV systems. The location has experienced repeated vandalism incidents in recent years, including an event in June that caused £10,000 worth of damage to windows, resulting in a man being issued a community order after confessing to criminal damage. Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, who serves as the cabinet member for transport, infrastructure, and regeneration, stated that the project, being executed under the Safer Streets programme, would “significantly improve the location”. He added, “We know from conversations with bus users that the current interchange continues to experience vandalism and antisocial behaviour.” Ben Adams, Staffordshire’s police, fire, and crime commissioner, obtained £820,000 to fund the most recent Safer Streets programme, which is addressing antisocial behavior in Longton, Cannock, and Tunstall. The utilization of the station, constructed in 2003, has decreased because several bus services now make stops on Market Street. Longton councillor Chris Robinson commented, “When it first opened it policed itself, because it was so busy.” He further noted, “But now only four stands are in use, and it’s not a pleasant place to go, especially early in the morning or late at night, with broken glass on the ground and the lights not working.” The demolition activities are scheduled to occur in November and December, during which temporary bus stops will be established.