Three parking bays at Bishop Auckland's bus station were closed after defects were found in the road surface at the Saddler Street site. Two of the bays have since reopened, but an ongoing investigation has shown that further remedial work is still required.
Council Confirms Defect and Repair Plans
Durham County Council confirmed that a 'defect' in the road surface prompted the bays to be cordoned off. Rachael Smith, the council's section manager for transport and infrastructure, said: "Works will take place to repair the affected area and ensure that it is structurally sound, as soon as we are able."
Smith added: "The station remains very much open for business, and we are doing everything we can to make sure there is as little disruption as possible for residents and visitors. We'd like to thank them for their patience and understanding while works are completed."
Previous Pothole Concerns
The latest closures follow concerns raised in September, when a pothole emerged at the newly-built station just months after it first opened. At the time, the council stated that inspections by external contractors had determined that the material used for the road surface was "more than adequate" for heavy vehicles, with further investigations launched to determine the cause of the failure.
Warranty and Regeneration Funding
The council also confirmed that the building remains under a construction warranty, meaning the bill for repairing any defects would be passed on to the responsible contractor. The bus station was constructed as part of broader regeneration efforts for Bishop Auckland town centre, backed by funding from the government's Future High Streets Fund.
