INTERVIEW: More revealed on future of multi-storey car parks in Lancaster city centre

Monday, 18 March 2024 13:41

By Greg Lambert @greglam72

The new transport hubs could replace council-run multi-storeys including Castle Car Park

More information has been revealed on plans to build two new 'transport hubs' for parking on the fringes of Lancaster city centre.

Councillor Jean Parr said the hubs would be, in essence, new multi-storey car parks 'within walking distance' of the city's shopping heart.

Speaking on our weekly news show 'Beyond the Headlines', Councillor Parr also did not rule out the car parks being "additional" to the city centre's existing multi-storeys.

Councillor Parr, cabinet member for planning and place, was in the Beyond Radio studio on Friday to answer questions on Lancaster City Council's new draft parking strategy for the city centre.

The strategy mentions long-term plans to replace covered car parks at St Nicholas Arcades and the Castle with new hubs north and south of Lancaster.

A review of the "condition and utility" of the council-owned St Nicholas Arcades car park and Castle car park could be carried out within the next decade and a feasibility study into the new transport hubs completed within the next seven years.

LISTEN to our interview with Councillor Jean Parr (pictured below in the Beyond Radio studio)

Councillor Parr said: "We want the city centre to be pleasant for pedestrians to mooch about, look at the tourist sites, shop, relax and have a coffee.

"We want to reduce congestion as far as we can, while still allowing access.

"One of the ways to reduce the volume of cars weaving around the city centre is to offer them a readily-available space, whichever way they come into the city, whether they come in from the M6 north or south.

"We are looking, long-term, at creating what we call transport hubs but effectively, to the driver, a multi-storey car park, on either side of the city centre, and we're reviewing various options of where they can be.

"The idea being that they can park just outside the city centre and then walk in.

"(We don't mean) as far away as the Park and Ride (at Junction 34). It will be much closer than that. It will be close enough to walk in.

"They'll be on the fringes of the city centre. Because it is a long-term plan, whether they will be additional to those current multi-storeys or replacement for, is being worked on.

"I personally would like to see the Castle car park working well, because it is bang in the city centre and that will be very useful for people with their shopping."

She also said: "We're looking at supporting people to park where they need to, to ensure people can travel in to do shopping or to enjoy an evening out, while still keeping the city centre as organised as possible and avoiding excessive congestion and maintaining a reasonable level of air quality.

"We realise that people who live in outlying areas need their car because public transport isn't ideal, but we do acknowledge that the majority of people who come to the city centre use a bus or a bike, or if they live close to the city centre, they walk as well.

"We are trying to balance all these needs against the obvious request from businesses that as many people come into the city centre as possible to support the high street and the night-time economy.

"Lancaster is quite a small compact city. A lot of things are within walking distance from the city centre."

She also spoke about concerns from residents and businesses about the planned loss of parking spaces when new housing is built on the Nelson Street (pictured below) and St Leonardsgate car parks as part of the planned Canal Quarter development.

A loss of 126 spaces is expected from mid-2025 at Nelson Street, followed by a loss of 181 spaces and six coach parking spaces at Upper and Lower St Leonardsgate by 2026.

There are also long-term plans to build on the 89-space Edward Street car park, but the council said there would be a "managed and phased release" of car parking spaces to "ensure limited net loss".

The draft strategy also includes a plan to close all 'small surface' car parks within 15 years.

These include Lucy Street, Wood Street, Spring Garden Street, Windy Hill and Bridget Street car parks.

"I can appreciate that people are concerned (about the loss of parking spaces)," said Councillor Parr.

"The council is only one of the providers of parking.

"There are another 900 spaces provided by private operators and then we've got the on-street (parking) that comes from (Lancashire County Council)."

The strategy says the council aims to provide 1300 to 1400 off-street parking spaces in Lancaster city centre in future to "provide sufficient capacity for currently identified peak demand periods".

There are currently a total of 1624 parking spaces in city council-run car parks in Lancaster city centre.

This includes permit-holders only car parking and the 287-space Castle Car Park (pictured below), which is currently closed for refurbishment due to safety reasons but is due to reopen in 2025.

"We have already temporarily lost 300 spaces with the closure of Castle car park," said Councillor Parr.

"So we are already operating at 1300-odd car parking spaces, and we are still (70 per cent) usage of our car parks. We do have capacity remaining.

"People must also remember this Christmas we will still have access to the full capacity of Nelson Street (car park). We're not expecting spades in the ground this year.

"The whole stratregy of the Canal Quarter is that it's done in phases. We will do Nelson Street, monitor the car parking, see how things go. If we have to make adjustments to our strategy, that is what we'll do. It will be continuously reviewed."

Also in the draft strategy - three permit-only car parks in Lancaster would be converted to short-stay within the next three years, parking at the car park opposite the old Kingsway bus station would be expanded to create 20-70 new long-stay spaces, and 70-150 temporary coach and car parking spaces would also be created on council land by early 2025 at locations to be confirmed.

Councillor Parr said: "We have a few options, we haven't established final locations as yet.

"We're going to refurb the old car park (opposite the old Kingsway bus station) and bring that into play as well."

The draft car parking strategy can be read here.