By Mia De Graaf PUBLISHED: 13:56 EST, 23 September 2013 | UPDATED: 13:57 EST, 23 September 2013 It is known as the 'concrete monstrosity'. Locals branded it an eyesore. The council has struggled to pay for its maintenance for decades - and was planning to knock it down. But according to the government, this 1960s bus garage is a national treasure. In a move that has shocked most of Preston, the building, built in 1969, was today given listed status. Saved: Preston Bus Station has today been made a Grade II listed building by Culture Minister Ed Vaizey
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Council threatened to demolish the building because it is an 'eyesore' that is 'too expensive to maintain'
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The 1969 station is said to be the second biggest in Europe
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It is now a Grade II listed building
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Petition launched to save the garage after survey showed 80 per cent of Preston valued it
Preston
'We've always said the bus station is too big, provides relatively poor facilities for bus passengers and costs @placeholder taxpayers over £300,000 a year to maintain.