Passenger group welcomes £60m bus depot plan for Wakefield
The brand new depot in Wakefield will form part of the new Weaver Network - when buses are brough back under public control
Last updated 22nd Apr 2026
A public transport group has welcomed proposals to build a £60m zero-emission bus depot in Wakefield.
The West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) has lodged plans for the purpose built facility as part of efforts to create a leading transport system for the region.
The proposed development includes parking and charging areas for up to 125 buses and a two-storey main building providing office space and a maintenance workshop.
Gareth Forest, of Better Buses for West Yorkshire, a passenger-led campaign for publicly controlled buses, said: “If we are going to have faster, more frequent reliable buses, the only way to deliver that is having a new bus depot in Wakefield.
“It’s really great that it is going to be all electric as well to have a de-carbonised public transport network.”
WYCA wants to locate the depot at Wakefield Council’s former transport depot at Newton Bar and would demolish buildings at the site to make way for the new facility if plans receive approval.
A separate building for bus cleaning is also planned, along with staff car parking, secure cycle parking and landscaping.
Work could begin in summer this year and the depot could be operational by 2028.
The city has been without a main bus depot since 2024, when Arriva permanently closed its base on Barnsley Road.
The operator took emergency action following the discovery of serious structural problems in an engineering building.
The site, which also housed Arriva’s Yorkshire headquarters, is due to be demolished.
Mr Forest said: “Wakefield has been without a bus depot for a few years now.
“The state of the old bus depot is in a dilapidated condition.
“It’s really a metaphor for how private bus companies have treated the bus network in Wakefield, how they have treated passengers and drivers in Wakefield
“This year is the 40th anniversary of the privatisation of the bus network in West Yorkshire and across the country.
“It is so clear that it has been a total failure.
“What’s happening right now with the bus network in West Yorkshire coming back into public control is really essential to building a better bus network.
“It gets more cars off the road, it gets more people on buses using public transport.”
A planning statement submitted by WYCA said: “The combined authority has an overarching transport strategy which aims to transform travel across West Yorkshire so that it is more sustainable, reliable, accessible and attractive than private car travel.
“This is part of broader regional ambitions set out in WYCA’s local transport plan and the Transport Strategy 2040, which support a net-zero carbon economy by 2038 and seek to cut emissions and improve air quality.
“The proposal makes efficient use of land to deliver essential public infrastructure and supports local employment, both during construction and ongoing operation.”