Brierley Hill Bus Improvement Scheme

[Stuharris 6360]

To be honest, i think the current Merry Hill bus station is a disgrace, and in desperate need for improvement. I dread to think what visitors from around the UK and indeed the world must think of it when they see it.

As Matt says a nice bus station, just like Stourbridge, with opening doors and clean enviroments, maybe with stopping areas for visiting coaches with a nice covered walk way to an entrance would improve things greatly.

[PM]

As I was saying...

Bumping an old topic here.

When is the redevelopment of Cradley Heath interchange due to take place? From reading the above posts, the grant paying for the development must be spent by the end of the 2014/15 financial year, so it can't be long before we start hearing more about it.

I actually wonder whether this will happen now?

With Merry Hill being sold, will Centro enter talks with the new owners and try and get the ground for the bus station they originally wanted?

The money would be far better spent upgrading / providing a new larger bus station at Merry Hill including the original bus priorities. The new owners at Merry Hill appear to be more pro public transport than Westfield ever was

I agree it would be best spent at Merry Hill which is appalling and hardly encourages people to use the bus. Stourbridge may be a bit ott but I would rather see Dudley get a new bus station over Merry Hill as the bus station there is also awful and there is more space available without ploughing up car parks.

[winston]

As I was saying...

Bumping an old topic here.

When is the redevelopment of Cradley Heath interchange due to take place? From reading the above posts, the grant paying for the development must be spent by the end of the 2014/15 financial year, so it can't be long before we start hearing more about it.

I actually wonder whether this will happen now?

With Merry Hill being sold, will Centro enter talks with the new owners and try and get the ground for the bus station they originally wanted?

The money would be far better spent upgrading / providing a new larger bus station at Merry Hill including the original bus priorities. The new owners at Merry Hill appear to be more pro public transport than Westfield ever was

I agree it would be best spent at Merry Hill which is appalling and hardly encourages people to use the bus. Stourbridge may be a bit ott but I would rather see Dudley get a new bus station over Merry Hill as the bus station there is also awful and there is more space available without ploughing up car parks.

Merry Hill bus station is little more than a couple of rows of metal shelters, it needs dragging kicking & screaming in to the 21st century. If some parking spaces have to be lost to improve public transport provisions / priorities, so be it. 

[andrew1991]

As I was saying...

Bumping an old topic here.

When is the redevelopment of Cradley Heath interchange due to take place? From reading the above posts, the grant paying for the development must be spent by the end of the 2014/15 financial year, so it can't be long before we start hearing more about it.

I actually wonder whether this will happen now?

With Merry Hill being sold, will Centro enter talks with the new owners and try and get the ground for the bus station they originally wanted?

The money would be far better spent upgrading / providing a new larger bus station at Merry Hill including the original bus priorities. The new owners at Merry Hill appear to be more pro public transport than Westfield ever was

I agree it would be best spent at Merry Hill which is appalling and hardly encourages people to use the bus. Stourbridge may be a bit ott but I would rather see Dudley get a new bus station over Merry Hill as the bus station there is also awful and there is more space available without ploughing up car parks.

Last time i heard Dudley was under an 18 month feasibillity study. There does seem to be a lot of centro workers doing surveys latley too.

Reply from centro on 10th December 2013

'Centro's Bus Station Manager for Dudley has confirmed that we are currently carrying out a feasibility study over the next 18 months and trying to secure funds to facilitate the redevelopment of this key interchange within the West Midlands region'

[PM]

As I was saying...

Bumping an old topic here.

When is the redevelopment of Cradley Heath interchange due to take place? From reading the above posts, the grant paying for the development must be spent by the end of the 2014/15 financial year, so it can't be long before we start hearing more about it.

I actually wonder whether this will happen now?

With Merry Hill being sold, will Centro enter talks with the new owners and try and get the ground for the bus station they originally wanted?

The money would be far better spent upgrading / providing a new larger bus station at Merry Hill including the original bus priorities. The new owners at Merry Hill appear to be more pro public transport than Westfield ever was

I agree it would be best spent at Merry Hill which is appalling and hardly encourages people to use the bus. Stourbridge may be a bit ott but I would rather see Dudley get a new bus station over Merry Hill as the bus station there is also awful and there is more space available without ploughing up car parks.

Merry Hill bus station is little more than a couple of rows of metal shelters, it needs dragging kicking & screaming in to the 21st century. If a some parking spaces have to be lost to improve public transport provisions / priorities, so be it.

I agree it is awful I just wonder if a shopping centre would agree to getting rid of parking spaces when as pro-bus as I am I have to admit that the vast majority of people go to mh by car and that will never change. Vast improvements could be made even within the existing space but ideally it would become bigger of course. Could moving it up and away from the cramped area it currently is in further up the hill to a larger plot with an unoccupied slot be an admittedly more expensive but better move?

[s94]

Noticed a temporary bus shelter along Forge Lane, Cradley Heath yesterday next to the bus station. Is this a sign of work ready to commence at Cradley Heath soon if it still is?

[Roy]

Noticed a temporary bus shelter along Forge Lane, Cradley Heath yesterday next to the bus station. Is this a sign of work ready to commence at Cradley Heath soon if it still is?

There was a man with a theodolite at the Bus Station about a fortnight ago which indicated that something was happening.  The intention is to close the bus station completely during rebuilding works and move all bus routes to temporary stops in Forge Lane.  I just wish I could find the planning application on the Sandwell Council website.

Incidentally, Intu have leaflets at Merry Hill inviting people to visit the TellIntu site and let them know about what is right and what is wrong about Merry Hill.  I have used this site to record my opinions about the Bus Station there - and they weren't too complimentary!

[Roy]

Cradley Heath Interchange is to close on 28 September for rebuilding.  There are two temporary stops outside the Bus Station - one in Forge Lane for services to Merry Hill and one in Lower High Street for services 240 to Stourbridge and 124 to Dudley.

[the trainbasher]

Cradley Heath Interchange is to close on 28 September for rebuilding.  There are two temporary stops outside the Bus Station - one in Forge Lane for services to Merry Hill and one in Lower High Street for services 240 to Stourbridge and 124 to Dudley.

How's the 240 and 124 to turn around?

[Stuharris 6360]

Cradley Heath Interchange is to close on 28 September for rebuilding.  There are two temporary stops outside the Bus Station - one in Forge Lane for services to Merry Hill and one in Lower High Street for services 240 to Stourbridge and 124 to Dudley.

How's the 240 and 124 to turn around?

Maybe the 240 will terminate in/commence from Graingers Lane like it did in the old days.

[Roy]

One possibility would be to use Lower High Street, Chester Road and Cradley Road as a triangle.

[Roy]

Details now on Network West Midlands website at http://www.networkwestmidlands.com/cradleyheath/buschanges.aspx

[Stuharris 6360]

"Cradley Heath Bus Station no longer meets the needs of a modern interchange - nor offers the public transport facilities we aim to provide for passengers"

Interesting, there didn't seem to be a problem with it until the Merry Hill Bus Station project fell through!

[winston]

"Cradley Heath Bus Station no longer meets the needs of a modern interchange - nor offers the public transport facilities we aim to provide for passengers"

Interesting, there didn't seem to be a problem with it until the Merry Hill Bus Station project fell through!

Indeed, it meets more needs than the poor excuse of a bus station at Merry Hill does!

[the trainbasher]

Even Dudley is more world class than merry hill!!