By Update as plans to extend Grant Street Car Park met with opposition
North East Lincolnshire Council have launched a public survey after plans to expand Grant Street Car Park in Cleethorpes were met with major opposition.
This comes after it was revealed that the refurbishment plans would cost around £3.5M despite the site making an average of less than £25,000 a year between 2017 and 2021.
Plans to extend the car park would increase the number of spaces from 65 to 339 and would also include larger parking bays and electric vehicle charging points, according to the council.
The council hopes that the upgrades would improve revenue with the yearly earnings expected to rise to £169,000.
A spokesperson for the council said: “A single-storey extension to the existing Grant Street Car Park is expected to generate a substantially higher income than at present.
“Currently, almost half of the users park for four hours or more, a quarter of users park between two and four hours, and 11 per cent of users park for up to an hour.
“Bigger parking bays, electric vehicle spaces, lighting, CCTV, being part of the Park Mark Safer Parking scheme, as well as improved signage to the car park, will all be part of the overall scheme and will support in increasing its uptake.
“With a current shortage of car parking in Cleethorpes during the peak tourist season, it is vital we cater for the volume of traffic we welcome to the resort.”
But the plans have been met with major opposition from local residents.
Responding to the proposal, one local resident said: “So whilst other towns/cities are discouraging cars in centres, our council is encouraging them. Surely a park and ride scheme is a better use for the money?”
“How has this even been thought of as plausible? These figures simply do not equate to any kind of business plan whatsoever!
“With these figures it would take over 150 years to make back the £3.5m alone and that’s without taking into consideration any interest costs.
“This is simply not acceptable when councils are repeatedly increasing council tax to the max and then wasting the taxpayers hard earned money for their own unnecessary whims,” added another.
What do you think of the plans? Let us know or have your say via the North East Lincolnshire Council website.
