PLANS to temporarily transform a Barnsley car park into a depot for the council’s home-to-school transport service were rubber-stamped this week.
The scheme involves re-purposing the John Street car park into a makeshift base – for approximately 12 staff members and 70 mini-buses – in a bid to address safety and capacity concerns at the Smithies depot.
A planning report stated that health and safety concerns have been raised regarding vehicle storage and staff working in increasingly cramped spaces.
The new depot will be operational while a permanent site is sought, it is understood.
Its re-model will include 35 spaces for seven-and-a-half-metre-long mini-buses and 35 spaces for five-metre vehicles, ensuring that there is sufficient room for the fleet needed to serve the home-to-school service.
The plans were unanimously approved following a vote.
