High Street car park will close on 31 October following independent surveyor reports that show the structure is corroding and cannot be fixed.
The council’s executive has agreed to close the car park, which is currently safe to use, within the timescales set out by structural experts.
The car park, which was built in the 1970s, has already had its middle parking bays suspended to spread weight load. This has provided a temporary solution to keep it safe and open.
However, surveyors have said that this cannot continue as the structure is corroding. They recommended closing the car park before the end of the year, as the level of corrosion within the concrete reinforcement cannot be remedied.
It will remain open safely until 31 October, work will then begin to safely hoard off the car park in November. The site will be added to the overall town centre masterplan for regeneration – it is too soon to say what may be placed on the site in the future.
High Street car park is mainly used by council staff working in the nearby Time Square office and a handful of monthly season ticket holders. It is not the car park of choice for shoppers or those visiting The Lexicon.
Bracknell town centre has lots of alternative car parks available. Braccan Walk, Princess Square, Albert Road, Weather Way are all within walking distance of the town centre. The closure of High Street car park should not impact on people’s ability to park, as only The Avenue car park reaches capacity at Christmas peak times, while others have plenty of space all year round.
Structural engineers have advised that the businesses under High Street car park could remain in place safely until 2025, subject to regular inspections.
Discussions are ongoing between the council, Bracknell Regeneration Partnership and Shopmobility to find an alternative parking and drop-off point for people that use Shopmobility.
Kevin Gibbs, executive director for delivery, said:
“High Street car park is currently safe to use but independent structural experts have told us that it is corroding and there is no way to fix it.
“The safety of car park users must be our priority, which is why the executive has agreed to close the car park at the end of October – in line with expert advice.
“The simple issue is that the car park was built more than 50 years ago when vehicles weren’t as heavy. The weight load of heavy, modern vehicles has put considerable pressure on the structure.
“It will remain open until 31 October, which will give us time to look in to an alternative drop-off point for Shopmobility users and let everyone who uses it know that they will need to find an alternative car park from 1 November.”
