A woman disgusted by the state of Brighton’s coach station has started a petition calling on the council to improve the facilities.
Celia Steer catches National Express coaches regularly from Pool Valley which prompted her to set up her petition on the Change.org website.
The lack of a waiting room, lighting, toilets and a café have left the area uninviting and Mrs Steer said that she believed that it was unsafe at night.
She said: “It’s a disgrace. I’ve got relatives coming in from America in the next couple of months and I think they’ll be appalled to know what they’re coming into.
“We use it a lot and have to go out early in the morning. There’s no shelter.
“Coming back late at night, the National Express coaches park at the Old Steine because it’s too dangerous to park in the coach station. There’s nothing there.”
Now, if she has to come home late from a trip with her partner John, Mrs Steer said that she used the train instead.
At the time of writing, 154 people had signed the petition which Mrs Steer plans to submit to Brighton and Hove City Council.
Pool Valley is classed as public highway and is the council’s responsibility.
The council’s cabinet member for transport, parking and the public realm, Trevor Muten, said that the council was looking at ways to improve the area.
Councillor Muten said: “We see Pool Valley as an important part of the city, with lots of potential.
“It’s close to the pier and seafront and will certainly benefit from the ongoing transformation of the Old Steine as part of the Valley Gardens project.
“We’re looking at how this area best serves the city and will be working closely with transport operators and the local community to ensure good outcomes for residents, businesses and visitors.”
https://www.change.org/p/pool-valley-coach-station
A couple of shelters would be nice but I don’t think there are enough passengers to make a coffee shop or even just a mobile stand commercially viable. Plus there are some coffee places on East Street such as Pret
The only time I’ve seen more than a half dozen or so. passengers is when there has been a rail strike or engineering works.
But I’m sure her American friends won’t be as appalled as she thinks. In many US cities coaches often pick up passengers on the road like a normal bus.
And IIRC it’s only a couple of the very late night arrival and departures that didn’t use the station and that may have been more down to not wanting to create noise for people stating at the youth hostel etc
But is the current location ideal anyway?
It’s only accessible to coaches via a narrow street off the Old Stein and an exit on to A259
It’s a really good point. I do wonder what an overhaul would look like and how one would make that area more appealing. Hmm…
Well
Obviously you don’t see that many people coming and going it dosnt mayer how many people use it still.needs a cafe like it did before my petition is is now over 175 so they dont agree with your comments the drivers themselves have told me thst they wint go in there late st night for safety reasons to them.and passenger’s
Where is this cafe?
In all my time using NEX I have never seen a cafe at the coach station.
There did use to be one and a waiting room but that was 40 years ago. There also use to be a lot more coach travel then too.
I respectfully disagree, Celia. The number of people who use it very much matters, the how is more important than just a bunch of people saying yes – although I am always amiable to making an area safer; that can be done with lighting, CCTV, visible patrols, etc.
As usual the council will save money by doing nothing.
Convert the i360 into a coach station.
Could do with Shelter & Toilets
But everything gets Vandallised or Graffitied when Unattended-can’t see Council wanting to pay for those Services right now.
The Steine & Pool Valley used to be a great place to come into and would be seen as the Place to look at as you come in from Palace Pier or Sea life Centre or a walk along the Beach.
But look at it now ( I know it VG3 phrase) but just chaos.
Agreed. It’s my primary reservation when it comes to public toilets. Shelters also attract rough sleeping as well, which makes a place feel really unsafe. There are options, of course, to making a place feel safer, and I think in principle exploring how this could be done is a very reasonable request.
I wouldn’t use a petition personally, I find them entirely ineffective in creating a tangible change, but methodology aside, I think Celia’s request for a Pool Valley redevelopment to be explored entirely reasonable.
That can be resolved by the council building a toilet block that are maintained by the tenant of the kiosk attached to to the toilets . The tenant pays a minimal rent in exchange for looking after the (changing places/disable) toilet .
Perhaps we need a new “coach station” at a new locations that allows an easier switch to other transport options such as car parking, buses, taxis and trains with associated services. The current spot was good for when we had the Old Steine and bus services from Pool Valley but it’s now almost difficult to access, unused, dangerous after dark, and the whole surrounding area due for redevelopment.
Coaches can drop off and pick up at any bus stop in the Old Steine and park miles away
Which is what NEX are doing at the moment – using stop Z on Old Steine.
I’m on a NEX tomorrow afternoon so at least I know where I need to be.
Just for your own future reference. The 04-05:00 northbound coaches often use that stop. NEX aren’t brilliant at advising pax this ( bit hit n miss) but I normally go there and check the info screens then walk to Poole valley if need be
There isn’t an info screen at Stop Z!
Some selective recall there. Unless the hotel hoarding has been pushed out again then there is a shelter there.
NX coaches often park up in the station overnight. I know because I’ll often see 1-2 there when I arrive for the 1st coach of the morning to LGW or LHR.
As others have mentioned. Her US relatives won’t bat an eyelid if they’ve ever been within a block of one back home.
Yes it’s barren and crap. but it’s ALWAYS been so ( the last 20 years it’s not changed a bit) . Of course it could be improved with proper shelters, hell a couple of large planters would do wonders to improve the overall aesthetics but from personal, long term, experience this lady is either misinformed or has chosen to assert things that make her story and petition sound better.
Finally. Pretty much anywhere in the city centre in the early hours or midnight hours had the ability to give a sense of questionable safety.
Explain what you mean what have I been misinformed about and I do like the fact that you think that I have done it to improve my petition it’s for everyone how come over 250 people agree with me I suggest you look.up the Mock Turtle which used to be there you you know what it was like then and would like it to be again
The Mock Turtle was nothing to do with the coach station though.
It was a coffee shop that was near it!
Only open 9.00-18.00 before it shut down so not of use to those getting an early morning coach.
I emailed both brighton buses, brighton city council and basically the council said there’s no were they can put a new bus station I do believe having a decent better bus station would be great for brighton
Pool Valley used to be a vibrant hub to catch the “out of town” buses to all sorts of places in Sussex, Kent and Hampshire back in the ’60s & ’70s. It avoided the nee for these buses to clog up North Street and enabled the town services to run into North Street & Churchill Square. It had shelters and a cafe too! The whole area is a shadow of its former self and is very uninviting!