By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
There are fears the imminent closure of a Cheltenham town centre car park will make parking problems worse in the spa town.
North Place Car Park is due to close on February 21. The site is earmarked for 147 homes.
And planning permission for hte development was approved by Cheltenham Borough Council last August.
Keith Graham, who owns The Famous on the Prom, said there are generally a lot of issues with parking in the town.
And he believes the closure of North Place Car Park will make matters worse. “It’s a bit of a scruffy car park but housing is badly needed,” he said.
“But while I’m in favour of the housing I do know it’s going to cause a parking issue in Cheltenham. There are not enough parking spaces anyway.
“What Cheltenham should do is build a proper multi-storey. I know they’ve done the hub out near GCHQ at Arle Court but I don’t think people are going to park there and get the bus in.”
Borough Councillor Stan Smith (PAB, Prestbury) said the situation for parking is going to become very difficult in Cheltenham after the car park closes.
“It has been a bone of contention for people in Cheltenham for years,” he said.
“Even when the Black and White Coach Station was closed, there was a lot of comment that it should have been made into a proper car park.
“They just knocked the buildings down and left it as a derelict site until someone took it over to make it into a car park.”
Gloucestershire County Councillor Stephan Fifield (C, Pittville and Prestbury) said he is pleased to see progress on the North Place site.
But he too believes its closure could make it harder for visitors to access the high street.
He said Shire Hall has invested heavily in Arle Court and revised parking zones in the town.
However, he said there appears to be no clear strategy to ensure both residents and visitors can continue to access the town centre easily.
“I’m pleased to see progress on the North Place development, but there seems to be little recognition of the impact that losing these parking spaces will have on the town,” he said.
“This could make it harder for visitors to access the high street, affecting local businesses.”
Euro Car Parks Limited has been approached for comment.