New future announced for historic frontage of Preston Bus Depot

Preston Bus has revealed the future for its historic depot frontage.

The stone-built offices in Deepdale Road was set to be transformed into four apartments as part of a 2022 planning application, but this now won’t be happening.

These are the plans for a new cheerleading and dance studio

Last week the Post revealed the new plans for a huge renovation of the depot, which comprise of re-roofing, cladding of two elevations with profile steel cladding, installing roller shutter doors to the north elevation, and drainage to hardstanding.

It was unclear what was happening with the 1914 stone building, but now a spokesman for Rotala, which owns Preston Bus has cleared up any confusion. They said: “The current frontage remains and will now be turned into offices.”

The current workshop will stay in its current layout, but there will be some new garage entrance doors to the side of the building which will allow several pits to run along the length of the garage. There will also be solar panels for a new composite garage roof.

Not fit for purpose

It’s long been said by Rotala, the company which own’s Preston Bus, that the 110-year-old site does not "suit the requirements of 21st century public transport" and in 2022 the company said that some buildings, due to their age, were "not currently a safe working environment with potential vehicle movement hazards." Some buildings, which date back to the First World War, have already been demolished to make way for the redevelopment.