Lancaster city centre may require up to 1,500 council-run car parking spaces, a figure higher than previously suggested earlier this year, according to a report for Lancaster City Council's cabinet. The need for increased parking has been attributed to factors such as the requirements of city centre businesses, land sales, property development, transport and housing, as well as developments in other areas like the Morecambe Eden Project.
The council had initially proposed a draft city centre parking strategy suggesting a need for 1,300 to 1,400 spaces. However, following consultations with various stakeholders including businesses, the target may now be revised to 1,500 spaces.
The council owns several off-street car parks, while others like the Castle car park have different owners. Central Lancaster is undergoing various changes including new property developments and proposed road system changes in collaboration with Lancashire County Council.
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The council also plans to sell the Nelson Street car park for new housing, which would result in the loss of 120 spaces, and has ambitions to develop the Canal Quarter with mixed uses including new homes. Meanwhile, the Castle car park, under a different landlord, was leased by the city council but has been closed due to structural issues.
If it can be reopened next year, an additional 287 spaces would become available. Technical investigations are currently ongoing, reports .
A comprehensive report on the recent public consultation is set to be presented to the cabinet in December. The cabinet report for this month summarises: "Concerns from the business community about the long-term provision of public parking and general parking are understood. Through the draft car parking strategy, alongside ongoing work with the county council, the issue will be addressed at a city-wide level."
In brief, the public feedback called for a 'clearer, phased, and pragmatic approach' to car parking if current sites, especially in the Canal Quarter, are to be repurposed for housing or commercial uses.
There were also demands for 'improved data collection and analysis', better communication and transparency during consultations, and aligning the car parking strategy with broader Lancaster planning and transport projects. Additionally, there was a desire for more certainty regarding the location and feasibility of new car parking, new green transport, and any potential multi-storey car parks.
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Earlier this year, the city council's cabinet agreed that maintaining an 'optimal and efficiently managed quantity of public car parking' is a key priority. This week, the cabinet received an update, which included information from an officer on parking space numbers and policy.
Labour Coun Jean Parr, a cabinet member, put forward four recommendations. These included an ambition to achieve the higher figure of 1,500 places and that criteria in the draft strategy be used in any future versions considered by the cabinet.
The other recommendations emphasise that maintaining an 'optimal and efficiently-managed quantity of public car parking for city centre is a key priority for the city council. The long-term provision, location and type of car parks should be explicitly included in sustainable travel and transport policy.
Coun Parr suggests that increasing the strategic numbers of parking spaces will provide the cabinet with 'further comfort', in terms of supporting the city centre's economy, accessibility and car-user utility, and for progressing the release of the Nelson Street car park for affordable housing.
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