Pensnett Garage

winston · April 09, 2012, 04:51:29 PM

Does anyone know if there is still any interest in NXWM in acquiring / developing the derelict plot of landing at the end of the Pensnett garage yard & possibly expanding Pensnett garage? Part of the land was formally occupied by Broadwell Buildings, that building has since been demolished & new palisade fencing was erected to contain the plot summer last year, but nothing has happened with it since. Some of Pensnett staff use it for additional parking that's about it.

I would imagine that Pensnett garage must also be pretty much full to capacity since withdrawing shorter B6LE is favour of retaining full size Merc's, also there are a number of port cabins on site which appear to be being used as stores / additional office etc, seems to indicate as though the engineering / office block is also now too small to house all the functions

D10 · April 09, 2012, 09:05:49 PM

Haven't heard anything about expansion recently.

The problem may be that NX don't want to pay the extra rental and service charges that would be incurred as this is a private estate owned by London & Cambridge Properties. Apparently you even have to buy some of the utilities off LCP at an inflated price and can't choose your own supplier!

This contrasts with most if not all all of the other garages which are owned by NX.

winston · April 10, 2012, 09:43:10 AM

Thanks for the reply.

You would think/hope NXWM would have known all that before they decided to build the depot there originally, surely the rates can't be the extortionate as there are enough businesses located on the estate both small & large.

D10 · April 10, 2012, 09:35:53 PM

Also it has been suggested that the original planning application imposed a maximum operating capacity of 100 buses, which wasn't a problem when it opened. I think the PVR is about 100 now.

It makes you wonder whether they should have just re-opened Hartshill instead....

winston · April 10, 2012, 09:46:48 PM

I've got the Pensnett allocation as 116 buses (there may be still the odd withdrawal still to take off that)

Sounds like it would be either bite the bullet & move if they ever wanted to expand or lease further land off LCP and pay what that want. If NXWM ever did want to expand Pensnett's Pvr, I suspect there may be more work than just increasing the size of the parking area. The engineering / office facility is already spilling out in to portacabins dotted around the complex as it is. I suspect part of the problem is it was never designed to accommodate such a large fleet, at the time it was built for Travel Merry Hill, a large portion of the fleet was Optare Metroriders & Volvo B6LE.

Hartshill wouldn't have been large enough to accommodate the current allocation at Pensnett.

I personally wish Metrowest was never absorbed in to the main fleet :'(

Ash · April 10, 2012, 10:14:42 PM

They could may be have a mega garage merging West Brom and Pensnett garages together if a suitable location could be found as both garages operate a similar fleet in terms of vehicle type

winston · April 10, 2012, 10:19:24 PM

That's not totally unrealistic.... but you'd be looking for a site capable of accommodating/maintaining 283 buses. Depending on where it was located between the two current locations, it could result in a lot of dead mileage.

D10 · April 11, 2012, 08:19:07 PM

I have a feeling the dead mileage was an issue in the past after the Metrowest closure when you had Stourbridge local routes run from West Brom and Quinton, and that was one of the reasons why Merry Hill Minibuses was bought to provide a base back in the Dudley area.

Of course with most Stourbridge locals (X96, 276) now running into Dudley Bus Station, perhaps it wouldn't be so much of a problem if the new depot was between Dudley and West Bromwich.

richie · April 11, 2012, 11:07:55 PM

Quote from: winston on April 10, 2012, 09:46:48 PM
I've got the Pensnett allocation as 116 buses (there may be still the odd withdrawal still to take off that)

Sounds like it would be either bite the bullet & move if they ever wanted to expand or lease further land off LCP and pay what that want. If NXWM ever did want to expand Pensnett's Pvr, I suspect there may be more work than just increasing the size of the parking area. The engineering / office facility is already spilling out in to portacabins dotted around the complex as it is. I suspect part of the problem is it was never designed to accommodate such a large fleet, at the time it was built for Travel Merry Hill, a large portion of the fleet was Optare Metroriders & Volvo B6LE.

Hartshill wouldn't have been large enough to accommodate the current allocation at Pensnett.

I personally wish Metrowest was never absorbed in to the main fleet :'(

Yea 116 is correct in my workings lot of strange goings on with that land by the garage! I think there may be some developments???

winston · April 12, 2012, 12:07:11 AM

I'd be suprised if they didn't at least extend the length of the current parking area, if they snapped up the entire vacant plot they could make Pensnett garage in to a 180-200 vehicle allocation. I would have thought that they would need to provide additional engineering / admin buildings / bus wash facilities though,

I check periodically on Dudley Council planning portal, but nothing has come up to date

[/quote]

Yea 116 is correct in my workings lot of strange goings on with that land by the garage! I think there may be some developments???
[/quote]

richie · April 12, 2012, 10:00:57 AM

there is two units up for let next to the vacant land with bays and offices above

winston · April 12, 2012, 10:14:12 AM

Hadn't noticed those, are they opposite the depot where the new fencing has been errected?

Quote from: richie on April 12, 2012, 10:00:57 AM
there is two units up for let next to the vacant land with bays and offices above

Nathan4775 · April 12, 2012, 11:45:58 AM

So wouldnt that garage be placed In Oldbury or close enough to there becuase isnt it 30mins both ways

richie · April 13, 2012, 12:43:43 AM

Quote from: winston on April 12, 2012, 10:14:12 AM
Hadn't noticed those, are they opposite the depot where the new fencing has been errected?

Quote from: richie on April 12, 2012, 10:00:57 AM
there is two units up for let next to the vacant land with bays and offices above

there in the left hand corner of the empty land thats the left hand with the garage behind you

KayP · April 13, 2012, 07:09:38 PM

I think a development would be good, so that PE can receive more doubles

Quote from: winston on April 09, 2012, 04:51:29 PM
Does anyone know if there is still any interest in NXWM in acquiring / developing the derelict plot of landing at the end of the Pensnett garage yard & possibly expanding Pensnett garage? Part of the land was formally occupied by Broadwell Buildings, that building has since been demolished & new palisade fencing was erected to contain the plot summer last year, but nothing has happened with it since. Some of Pensnett staff use it for additional parking that's about it.

I would imagine that Pensnett garage must also be pretty much full to capacity since withdrawing shorter B6LE is favour of retaining full size Merc's, also there are a number of port cabins on site which appear to be being used as stores / additional office etc, seems to indicate as though the engineering / office block is also now too small to house all the functions

News:

Pensnett Garage

KayP