POOLE council had to go back to the drawing board for its plans for a new bus station in the town centre ­– as its original designs could have 'significantly increased' the chance of crashes between buses and pedestrians.

A new bus and coach station forms an integral part of the council's Heart of Poole regeneration scheme.

Talks with bus operator Go South Coast, which is the freehold owner of the current bus station, over the layout of the new station are ongoing. Discussions are also taking place to identify potential sites for a new bus depot. It would ideally be in an industrial area within 10 minutes of Kingland Road.

The new bus station and public space outside Lighthouse will be delivered in two phases, starting in the spring of 2023 and finishing in 2027. As part of its masterplan for the new station the council is seeking to purchase Brownsea House – the part of the Dolphin Centre that runs parallel to the bus station – which is currently owned by Legal & General. A Compulsory Purchase Order strategy is being prepared as a “fall-back position” in case negotiations fall through.

According to a report by strategic director Kate Ryan and head of growth and infrastructure Julian McLaughlin, the council had to change its design for the new station as it “had the potential to significantly increase the likelihood of pedestrian/ bus conflict which is undesirable”.

Phase one of the new bus station construction would see the old facility demolished and a temporary one installed on Kingland Road.

In the winter of 2023, work on the new station would start and the temporary one would then be dismantled so the Kingland Road site can be prepared for the public space works. A minimum of 20 stands will be provided with the new station to allow for the relocation of coaches from Seldown Car Park.

It will be "visually attractive, providing a positive sense of arrival into the town centre", according to the council, and there will be "good lighting and CCTV".

The final phase of work would start in the spring of 2025 and involve the creation of the public space.

According to a document of ‘development principles’ for the Heart of Poole project, “an important component of the scheme should be the provision of a large, high-quality public open space outside the Lighthouse”.

It will be a “cultural attraction in its own right but also be capable of hosting events”.