Poole Bus Station renovation needed

Poole Bus Station is in dire need of refurbishment and people have had enough.

The Poole Bus Station has long been an eyesore and a great annoyance for the local residents. But lately it is seemingly getting out of hand.

The station is currently in a state of chaotic mess. From poorly labelled signs making it hard for people to find their bus, to buses regularly getting in the wrong lane leading to bus riders getting on the wrong buses and inadequate seating and waiting areas making the whole bus riding experience distressing. Especially in these cold winter moths.

Plans to renovate the bus station have been earmarked for years. Despite this, so far nothing has seemed to come to fruition. BCP council’s conservative administration made ‘Rejuvenate Poole’ one of its main projects back in 2019. Yet nearly four years later still nothing has been achieved.

We spoke to Lee, a Poole native and regular bus rider who said on the matter: “There’s enough buses but not enough places to put them. The buses are always either early or late, being delayed or they’re breaking down. It would be much better if they just refurbished it so that everyone could feel comfortable.”

One of the other main projects that they had in 2019 was to refurbish The Dolphin Shopping Centre in Poole. This plan was hugely successful, with the shopping centre now being in better shape than ever. This shows the Poole residents that the money is there to be spent. But could prove that renovating the bus station isn’t as high up on their list of priorities as they once claimed.

As of yet, no details are currently known for plans to renovate the bus station, despite the mass public backlash. In spite of this, Cllr Phillip Broadhead suggested in a recent cabinet meeting that there could be details to share on this matter later this year: “I have been working really closely with councillor Steve Baron as our lead member on Poole regeneration. He has been working absolutely tirelessly to try and see some real immediate improvements in the centre of Poole.”

“In particular one of his long-term projects has been getting some real improvements to the bus station area around central Poole. Then combining that with some work that Future Places are leading on around the Lighthouse cultural quarter as well.

“I am really pleased now that that is coming into focus. We will be looking forward later on this year to bringing forward a cabinet paper talking around the huge bus station improvements that we will be bring forward at pace and with some immediacy.”