WORK is now under way on Hexham’s new £2m bus station which is expected to be in use by the summer.

Despite local opposition and a 10,000 name petition against the scheme, the town’s 120-space Loosing Hill car park closed on February 1 and is set to be transformed into a modern facility.

The new station, opposite Hexham General Hospital, will include an enclosed waiting area, toilets, refreshment facilities and travel information for bus users, as well as facilities for bus company staff.

The Northumberland County Council project has been designed by Newcastle-based +3 Architecture with the aim of reflecting the past present and future of Hexham as a market town.

Materials will include natural sandstone, glass panelling and stained glass.

Bus stops will be positioned inside the site, as well as on the roadside, on Corbridge Road and Priestpopple.

The existing landscaped area at Loosing Hill will be incorporated into a new public space, retaining existing cherry trees and including new planting and seating.

The construction work will include new carriageways, footways, landscaping, lighting and pedestrian crossings and is scheduled to take around six months to complete.

However, the reinstated car parking will be reduced to just 50 spaces.

The project releases the existing bus station site, which dates back to the 1920s, for a regeneration scheme.

Dysart Developments gained planning permission in November for a £13m retail and residential scheme that will link to the Marks & Spencer site with the town centre.

The scheme will provide 2,466 square metres of commercial floor space as well as 31 apartments and five affordable homes.

It is expected to generate in the region of 126 jobs and bring significant benefits to the economy in Hexham.

Coun. Ian Swithenbank, cabinet member for local services at the county council, said: “This new bus station is a significant investment by the council in new public transport facilities for Hexham and the wider West Northumberland area.

“I am very pleased to see work get under way on this high quality facility, and look forward to seeing it progress over the coming months.

“The new bus station also releases a prime development site in the town centre for a private scheme which will provide new homes and jobs, and much needed regeneration for Hexham.”

The £2.15m new bus station is being funded by the county council, including a £300,000 investment from the North East Rural Growth Network’s Strategic Economic Infrastructure Fund.

The Rural Growth Network funding has agreed to support the project as it releases the existing site as a prime economic development site within the heart of Hexham town centre.