Plans have been approved to install a new state of the art digital screen at Leek bus station on Haywood Street.

Leek Nub News reported previously how Staffordshire County Council submitted a planning application to Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, asking for permission to install a 65 inch "freestanding digital screen display unit providing passenger transport information".

An illustration was included of how the screen would look at the bus station, which is shown at the top of this article.

A rationale was also submitted explaining how the station would benefit from the screen.

It says the screen would provide real time information "about buses, travel planning and other public interest information such as government and local authority information about COVID."

It adds: "This provides up to date information to passengers about arrival and departure times of their buses, significantly enhancing their journeys by giving them more accurate information about bus services. This information changes from minute to minute and so a digital format is required.

"The benefit to passengers is clear; it is much more accurate than a paper timetable as delays can be reported on a minute by minute basis; paper timetabling simply is no longer fit for purpose in areas which service a significant number of routes. The displays are much more readable for passengers, allowing them to observe social distancing measures whilst checking bus times."

It also adds that the screens could display advertising, which could generate more revenue for the council.

The district council has now approved the application meaning the screen has been given the green light to be installed.

The council's planning officers commented: "Given the above details, the distance away from the dwellings, the reasonably discrete screen size, the nature of the bus station environment with illuminated shop windows, street lighting at night etc it can be judged fairly that the proposed display structure would not be obtrusive in its operation or out of place and would not interfere unduly with living conditions for residents."