No New Bus Shelters For Years…

… and then we get two within months!

After the new Colchester Road bus shelter in March, and after a long wait, we finally have a replacement shelter opposite the Orpen Hall.  Residents may remember that a bus hit the previous one in May 2018; it was removed because it was so damaged.  Luckily it happened early in the morning so no-one was hurt.

Why So Long?

First’s insurance company (who paid in full for the replacement), chose the cheapest quote from a company which subsequently went bust.  This left the Parish Council with a cheque in the bank but not quite enough money to install a replacement. Since then, and with lots of help from:

• Littlethorpe Bus Shelters (stepping in to assist with a great value purchase & delivery deal),
• Essex County Council, specifically Moira Mason and the roadspace team, and
• their recommended contractor Ken Hobson (whose team also installed the new Truman Building bus shelter),

… we finally got there a year down the road with no extra money spent !

21st June Arrived

The day arrived for delivery of the new shelter and Bluebell’s Pre-School were out to see the exciting delivery by crane.  They provided an enthusiastic, and probably unexpected, audience for the delivery driver and the Hobson team!

The installation of the new narrow roof shelter went smoothly.  It is set slightly further back from the kerb where it will hopefully be safe from wayward bus wing mirrors.

The installation has also improved the street view; the bus flag has been moved to the top of the shelter and the timetable located within it.  This frees up the pavement from one more piece of street furniture with the removal of the pole.