Have your say on parking changes in Chesterfield

Chesterfield Borough Council is running the consultation from today (Thursday 14 September) until Monday 9 October on the changes, which would see:

• The car park at the former North East Derbyshire District Council offices on Saltergate close in the future as the building has been sold for development

• Saltergate multi-storey car park close in the future if planning permission is given for its demolition and replacement with a new car park. The existing car park will remain open until those plans are approved. Plenty of notice will be given before the closure.

• No parking allowed in Park Road, Market Place, New Square and Low Pavement except for delivery vehicles authorised by the council

• St. Helen’s Street restricted to three hours parking with no return in three hours – this is in response to requests from shop owners and customers

• No parking allowed at the rear of Wardgate Way shops except for shop owners and deliveries.

The consultation also proposes a £50 release fee plus the appropriate parking fees if a car has been left in either of the council’s multi-storey car parks outside the regular opening hours.

Councillor Steve Brunt, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “Since the last car parks order was put in force in 2014, there have been several changes, including the sale of the former North East Derbyshire District Council offices and the proposed demolition of the current Saltergate multi-storey car park. This takes into account these changes.

“We are also proposing to introduce a charge to release cars which are left parked in our multi-storey car parks after they have closed. Until now, the cost of removing them has been picked up by Council Tax payers and we don’t believe this is fair or acceptable. So we want to bring our policy in line with other council and private car park operators.

“We have also listened to complaints from business owners and shoppers to make changes to the parking around the market place, St Helen’s Street and Wardgate Way shops.”

Other changes include formally renaming the former Queen’s Park Sports Centre car parks to Queen’s Park North and Queen’s Park South car parks and changes to the periods of time allowed for parking at car parks including: Foljambe Road, Brimington; Old Ship Lane and Storrs Road car parks.

For a full list of the proposed changes, visit: www.chesterfield.gov.uk/parking-consultation.