Bus firm's proposal to upgrade old depot

STAGECOACH'S PLANS INCLUDE STAFF GYM AND 'THINK TANK'

- By GARETH LIGHTFOOT Local democracy reporter

A BUS company's plans to build a "depot of the future" modernising its site with a new staff gym and engineers' "think tank" have been approved.

Stagecoach North East had asked for planning permission to build a replacement bus depot, with a three-storey office building including a staff gym, canteen and roof terrace, off Portrack Lane and Church Road in Stockton. The plans boasted innovative features like a “think tank”, a space for engineers to “review operational issues in real-time via a room-wide screen”, along with a separate entrance for engineering workshops and facilities for drivers and administrative staff.

They said the proposal was meant to modernise and use the site better, having installed equipment to electrify 66 buses. The development will replace “worn and dated bus depot buildings” now deemed too large to serve any purpose and “exceed what is necessary for the efficient operation of an electric vehicle bus fleet”.

It proposed knocking down old buildings to make a “smaller, more efficient depot building, freeing up space for a larger yard with bus wash facilities, fast-fix lanes, skips and bins in a “streamlined and future-ready transport hub”, with parking reduced from 77 to 48 spaces. Council officers approved the plans with conditions.