I’ve received an update from Cllr David Taylor about the waiting room at Bury St Edmunds Bus Station
I wrote to you all earlier this month to advise you that due to continuing day-time incidents of fighting, threatening behaviour and other crime and anti-social behaviour, my intention was to close the Bury St Edmunds Bus Station Waiting Room from 1 November.
This is to update you all with a change of plan.
I believe politicians should be prepared to listen. I have listened to the feedback and the concerns raised with relation to closing the waiting room, particularly at this time of year.
Let me be clear, the incidents have not stopped, people have raised safety fears and our CCTV room continues to monitor the area as it has, alerting police to incidents and providing evidence for any crimes committed.
So, in order to keep the waiting room open and to give bus station users greater confidence to use the facility, we will be employing security guards at the bus station waiting room. While we are not putting a time limit for how long for at this stage, it will be for at the very least the winter period, while other work takes place in tandem to try to address the crime and anti-social behaviour that has been taking place since March. As well as hopefully acting as a deterrent, the security guards will be another source to alert police to any incidents in or near the premises.
Our leader Cllr Cliff Waterman has also met with Bury St Edmunds Police. We want to continue to work with and support police in any way that we can in addressing this issue.
It cannot be right that we are faced with closing public facilities because of the criminal and anti-social behaviour acts of a few.
Alongside this we will be looking at the long-term future of the part of the bus station and how this part of the town centre can be improved to offer a better experience to people arriving in Bury St Edmunds.
Cllr David Taylor
Cabinet Member for Operations
West Suffolk Council