More welcome investment in coach facilities in Plymouth:
Coach companies arriving at The Barbican will have easier access, thanks to improvement work due to start this week. Plymouth City Council has contracted South West Highways to start work on improvements to the facilities offered to coach services at this popular location.
Stage one to extend the bus stop near the Mayflower Steps, creating a new larger coach drop off area was completed earlier in the year. Now the existing Lambhay Hill coach parking triangle is to be reconfigured to allow three standalone coach parking bays.
The new ‘pay and display’ bays for coaches will allow coaches a maximum of two hours parking, ensuring coach space rotation, which, in turn, helps maximise the number of coaches able to use the spaces and bring more visitors to the waterfront and business to local traders.
The project includes some excavation and reconstruction of the highway in areas which need repair. It is estimated that the work will take up to six weeks.
Councillor Patrick Nicholson, Deputy Leader of Plymouth City Council and cabinet member for Strategic Housing, Transport and Planning, said:
“Many visitor coaches want to go straight to the Barbican to enjoy its shops, cobbled streets and pubs. We’ve worked closely with the Confederation of Passenger Transport, the coach industry representative body, on these changes and hope the new facilities will bring more here and keep the cash tills ringing.”
Sarah Gibson, Waterfront Manager and Chief Executive of the Plymouth Waterfront Partnership said: “Businesses across the Waterfront rely upon visiting coaches and the additional footfall they generate. We welcome the Council’s investment to provide additional provision for coaches in this area. From this location visitors can access the delights of The Barbican, Sutton Harbour and The Hoe on foot or Mount Batten, the Royal William Yard and South East Cornwall by ferry waterlinks.”
