By Jenny Barwise

Last updated at 13:22, Wednesday, 08 August 2012

Hopes for the major redevelopment of Whitehaven’s former bus station and depot could be crushed if detailed plans are not put forward within the next 12 days.

Demolition work is well underway on the depot site

Outline planning permission was granted on August 20, 2009 to bulldoze both the station and depot and replace them with flats and shops.

But since then no further plans showing the detailed schemes of both projects have been submitted to Copeland council by the owners, Torquay-based Whitehaven Marina.

A spokeswoman for Copeland council said: “No such details have yet been received and in the continued absence of such details both permissions will expire on August 20, 2012. No other development proposals are currently under discussion.”

However, steps were taken by the developers last month to knock down the depot after it became a danger to public safety, with the roof deemed to collapse at any time.

The council took the unusual step of giving the green light to knock down the building – which has stood empty for more than 15 years – even though firm plans had not yet been agreed for its redevelopment.

There was a problem earlier this week when an excavator working on the site toppled into a hole.

It took workmen three hours to winch the 25-tonne hydraulic digger out.

Raymond Lawson, of Lawsons Haulage and Crane Services at Cockermouth, described the recovery as a “mammoth task.” It is believed that the driver of the machine misjudged the width of the concrete floor and pit and the digger fell sideways into the hole.

The depot, opposite Wetherspoon’s Bransty Arch pub, got outline planning permission for seven ground-floor shops with 62 harbourside flats above, over five storeys. The bus station, opposite the Tesco store, had permission for 56 flats with 60 parking spaces.

Additional planning permission was granted last month for the demolition of the depot, but this does not affect the permission granted three years ago. Demolition applications are not usually granted before detailed plans are submitted but because the building was unsafe, permission was granted.

First published at 11:28, Wednesday, 08 August 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk