Blown Down Practicality

RIP Greyfriars

The windows shook and the tea in my mug trembled as a deafening rumble ran through my building. For a split-second, I thought my obscure little town had become a target for terrorists. It took a moment to realise it was nothing sinister. I had completely forgotten it was demolition day. The day the towns' old bus station was reduced to rubble.

Unfairly referred to as "the mouth of hell," and one of the "ugliest buildings in the world," Greyfriars Bus Station was more than just a place for people to get on and off their buses. It was a connection to shops, a meeting placed for friends, and yes even a strange choice for a hangout. But more than that, it was a piece of Northampton's landmark history.
So you can imagine that when the news came nearly 4 years ago, that the station was to be demolished and replaced with a sleeker, more attractive bus station, opinions were divided.
Some relished the thought of not having to go to that gargantuan redbrick building and looked forward to the plans for the new £4 million North Gate station.
Located on the site of the old Northampton fish market, it seemed from the beginning an odd location to choose. Yes, the roads were made slightly wider, but it still seemed impractical to accommodate the heavy flow of traffic that Greyfriars had been able to handle so easily.
True enough, on opening day, chaos ensued. Not only was the impracticality of the new location vindicated with miles of tailbacks that stretched on for hours, but the new bus station only contained 13 lanes, half of what Greyfriars had been able to boast. An additional seven bays for journeys to the west side of town were to run from the Drapery, further down the road.

A year on and opinions on the North Gate bus station are still mixed.
No less than seven serious accidents have occurred outside the building. Each one causing traffic to back up past the site of the old Chronicle and Echo and further. A marked increase to what it was when Greyfriars was used. Where the average accident outside was once a year, if that, and never caused such tailbacks.

Yet for better or worse North Gate is here to stay. With its sterile white decor and easiness on the eye, it is definitely an upgrade of what Northamptonions are used to. But not what they need.
A bus station doesn't need to be beautiful. It needs to be practical!