DoI to Seek Bus Station Cash

While the Sea Terminal wouldn’t currently make for a good bus station, the DoI minister says he wants cash from Treasury to improve facilities in Douglas.

Tim Crookall has been asked for more info on what analysis has been done of the Sea Terminal as a temporary bus facility by Douglas East MHK Joney Faragher.

Douglas should have had a new bus station by now, under an agreement it reached with the Lord Street Development SPV Limited.

One of Mr Crookall’s predecessors Tim Baker told Tynwald back in July 2020 that the company had a ‘contractual obligation on the developer to build bus shelters, public toilets and an information centre’.

He added: ‘There is a requirement for these parts to be completed within 26 months of the date of the agreement May 4, 2020.’

Since then the Lord Street development has hit the wall, planning permission has expired and the bus station remains unbuilt.

Mr Crookall said that the DoI has considered using the Sea Terminal but tests with single and double deck buses showed they were ‘unable to be positioned safely in the building’s current format, being unable to safely deploy onto a level footpath, allow safe driver visibility or to remove contact risk with the building’.

He added: ‘No written report or assessment has been carried out as it was clear the site was not suitable in its current format. However, the Department will now look to progress a request for funding to explore the provision of temporary facilities in the short term at the Sea Terminal by undertaking alterations to the front of the building or to improve the existing facilities at Lord Street ahead of the redevelopment of that site.

‘With regards to the long term the Department remains focused on ensuring that the Lord Street developer honours the commitment to build facilities for bus passengers in line with the conditions of the sale of the site and to a standard that meets the aspirations agreed by Tynwald in July 2023.’