Go North East (GNE) is relocating its Stanley depot after nearly 100 years in the town, to a new £3.5m facility in Consett.
It has won planning approval from Durham County Council to build a high-specification depot on Hownsgill Industrial Estate.
Due to open in February 2019 the 11,585 sq ft depot, on a 2.23 acres site, is designed by Go-Ahead Group’s property team in conjunction with Gateshead-based architects, Shadbolt Group.
It includes a lean engineering facility to streamline processes and make vehicle maintenance more efficient, a full-recycling vehicle wash and spill-free refuelling system.
The current Stanley depot, on the site of a former ice-rink, is in major need of refurbishment.
The move is part of GNE’s extensive investment programme, which in the past year has included £10m on new vehicles and upgrading others, with more environmentally-friendly engines and comfortable and convenient facilities such as audio-visual next stop announcements, USB power sockets, wi-fi and leather seating.
GNE MD Kevin Carr says: “After nearly a century in Stanley this planning approval marks a momentous occasion in Go North East’s history and we are excited to start breaking ground on the site in Consett.
“We’ve had many happy years in Stanley, but looking ahead we welcome the opening of a new depot that incorporates top-quality design, more efficient features and better alignment to our brand vision, beliefs and attitudes.
“We want all our team members to be proud to be part of Go North East and this depot will certainly give them something to be proud of.”
GNE employs 2,100 local people, with a fleet of 700 buses and coaches and an annual turnover of £100m.
