Hinckley Bus Station

The new Hinckley Bus Station in 1960 was one of the most modern in the Midlands

January 1950 A Bus Station was planned to be built on a site along Rugby Road in Hinckley.

The Midland Red bus service was taking over all the local routes in and around Hinckley.

5th August 1955 The demolition took place of the YMCA building along Lancaster Road. The work was needed for part of the Hinckley UDC plans for providing a bus station.

For many years the buses had departed from Regent Street on both sides of the street and also outside the Regent Theatre in Lancaster Road. Other firms running regular services from Lancaster Road were Robinsons of Burbage, Browns of Sapcote, Black and White Coaches, and Halls of Coventry.

1959 During the early part of the year, the townspeople were able to see a plan of the new proposed bus station. It showed that it would lie between the Salvation Army Citadel, and the western boundary of Dr Murray's garden at Appleton House. The plans would also show that it would stretch back as far as Brunel Road and have an access road from Rugby Road.

1959 The building of the Bus Station started which involved moving 3,700 tons of earth and laying 250 tons of hardcore. The loading bays took 3,000 tons of concrete and there were 1,400 yards of footpaths. At the rear there was enough parking for 130 cars. The cost came to £18,099 to prepare the site of the bus station and £5,670 for the shelters and public conveniences.

30th September 1960 The new Bus Station was opened by Mr C.R. Hodgson who was chairman of East Midland Traffic Commissioners and councillor W. K. Wileman who was chairman of the Hinckley Urban District Council. Amongst the dignitaries was Mr Mark Hinton (of Welbeck Avenue, Burbage) who had been driver of the first double-decker to leave Hinckley in 1916. Mark recalled that on one of his bus routes at the bottom of Shilton Hill, which was just out of Earl Shilton on Leicester Road, he often had to ask the passengers to get off the bus as the engine was not powerful enough to carry them to the top of the hill.

It was claimed that Hinckley now had a bus station second to none in the Midlands. There were nine loading bays, each with its own shelter and car parking for 130 vehicles. The Midland Red would be the largest operator with 3,000 buses from a total of 4,500 buses that would use the Bus Station each week.

10th April 1995 The town's £140,000 Super-loo on Station Road was opened, they were to replace the toilets within the Bus Station and other public places such as The Horse Fair, Church Walk, The Borough and The Lawns.

1998 The longest running saga has been that of the bus station redevelopment, there were plans to build a new shopping centre.

December 2013 The detailed plans for a five screen cinema, bus station, shops, offices, Sainsbury's and parking for 550 cars was approved by Hinckley & Bosworth County Council.

2014 The once said Hinckley's 'second to none bus station' has been demolished to make way for a £80m shopping centre called 'The Crescent'.