I must agree with Dr Tony Saunders in his letter (Chronicle, August 15), where he states that Winchester Bus Station is a disgrace.

When the bus station was first taken over by Winchester City Council (at a cost to the residents) a number of ‘improvements’ were made and widely heralded. 

Sadly, these did not include rain shelters which were installed much later, so small only a couple of people can shelter under them, and, if the wind is from the wrong direction they have no value at all. Missing litter bins which must have been outside of the budget were substituted with black bin bags cable tied to the railings. The Bus Stand identities were marked on the concrete where the bus stood so it was only possible to know which Bus Stand was which after the bus had gone. This was resolved by printing the identities (A, B. C, etc.,) on A3 paper, laminated, and cable tied to the railings. There is very limited seating, some of which is carefully positioned just to the side of its nearest ‘shelter’. The vegetation behind the entrance sign was not cleared.

Amazingly the bus flow was altered so that buses now exit via the back of the bus station with buses having to swerve across two lanes of traffic in Friarsgate, which is often at a standstill and queued over the unsigned faded yellow hatched box junction. After only 100 feet, buses then swerve into Tanner Street, potentially into the face of on-coming traffic. Bizarre! 

On a recent visit it was quite clear that the bus station has received no TLC in a very long time. Gutters are blocked, providing ample nesting materials for the pigeons. The paint on the railings has all but completely peeled off. Likewise, much of the paint on the walls has flaked off and been left on the floor where it fell. I doubt that the area has seen a broom, in action, in years; perhaps since being taken into WCC ownership.

The concreted/asphalted bus road area is an uneven mish-mash of different poorly-maintained surface ‘finishes’, pot-holes, and faded markings. NB There is no pedestrian crossing marked at the entrance to the bus station.

I find it amazing that the-then newly-owned and 'improved' bus station got an award. I wonder what for or who by. Clearly, the adjudicators had never been to the bus station or ever travelled by bus.
I hope that the recently proclaimed adjoining recreational space created on the site of the old Friarsgate Health Centre will not suffer being awarded an accolade followed by similar utter neglect. 

Given the opportunities presented to the planning department by this site, to create a valued, architecturally interesting design consistent with the neighbouring historical buildings, café/shop - on the same side as the passengers, weather-proof, inviting, and providing a practical bus station worthy as the gateway to the county town of Hampshire and one time capital of England, - what happened?

On a recent visit I noted that the vegetation behind the Winchester Bus Station sign is still growing vigorously, and the cheap sign to the front is becoming detached.

I sense men/women in High-Visibility clothing, brandishing clipboards, approaching. 

Graham Ryder,
Priors Dean Road,
Littleton

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