Unless a transport authority/pte decides to build a bus station, I can't see there being much change.

Financially, it will cost a fortune to build and take an age to recoup that initial outlay.

On Tyneside/Wearside - you get the likes of Nexus who use private/public finance to construct a bus station.
The initial outlay, is returned by the way of rent by small businesses sited within the bus station and from the operators paying landing/access fees.
The PTE had the foresight to build the interchanges back in the 70's/80's to complement the integrated system.
Operators would be silly to move services away from these areas - based on the simple basis, that they would loose passengers.

On North Road, you have the site of what was an operator owned/constructed site.
Ditto Park Lane and others too. Not sure about Peterlee, but in all likelihood it was.

In Darlington, which operators would pay the council to use the bus station (without any interchange facilities) when they can use the streets for nowt?
There would possibly be a similar situation to the one in Hartlepool.

Back in the day, when there was competition, an operator would build their own bus station/terminus, very much like the train companies did.
It demonstrated grandeur and could attract passengers from a rival operation.

There isn't anything like that since de-reg.

As for the siting of stops; whilst problems may be happening on a daily basis, there will be all sorts of things to take into account, such as the destinations of the buses I.e routes in, out and across town, locations needing to be near shops/busy areas and the existing road/building infrastructure - before any re-siting can even happen.