‘Terrible’ Matlock bus station waiting room set to be transformed into shop

A waiting room at Matlock bus station is being put up for rent as a shop.
The waiting room at Matlock bus station could be transformed into a shopThe waiting room at Matlock bus station could be transformed into a shop
The waiting room at Matlock bus station could be transformed into a shop

It comes seven months after Derbyshire Dales district councillors opted to find new uses for several of its public toilets and buildings.

These included options for cafes, shops or bike rental hubs.

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Councillors and council officers had consistently referred to ongoing issues with vandalism at  Matlock Bus Station and particularly in its waiting room.

They said that the waiting room, built in the mid 2000s, was rarely used and would be best used as a shop.

The 682 square foot waiting room is now on the market with estate agent Salloways for £15,000 a year.

This would not include business rates and other charges such as utilities.

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It is hoped that three-to-five year lease for the Derwent Way facility can be secured.

If this is achieved it could net the district council £75,000 in rent.

Council leader Coun Lewis Rose had previously said in October that the space was currently ‘more abused than used’.

Meanwhile, Coun Steve Flitter had said: “I fully support this, the building is in a terrible state and needs to be put to good use. We have to give the site another chance.”

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Mike Galsworthy, the district council’s estates and facilities manager, said at the time : “This is a very busy location in Matlock, but not quite right for a national chain, but we need to test the market.

“The impression we are getting is companies want to do their own assessments, to look at the site and design the layout and alterations, this takes the risk off the council.

“There have been lots of problems with vandalism mainly with the doors.”

Officers had said that the site attracts an estimated annual footfall of 222,000 from mainline rail services and 169,000 for use of the public toilets adjacent to the site.

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The running cost of the waiting room is £4,000 a year and in the past five years, the district council has had to spend £6,000 on repairs caused by vandalism.

Officers predicted that only the option of turning the site into a shop could turn a profit within five years – in year three.

Councillors felt that the site was not suitable for use as a cycle hire hub because other attempts elsewhere in the district ‘never took off’.

Other uses for the site could include turning it into a space for financial and professional services, restaurants and cafes, drinking establishments or a hot food takeaway.

Eddie Bisknell , Local Democracy Reporting Service