Heavily scaled-back Derbyshire car park expansion finally set to go ahead after six years
A major car park expansion six years in the waiting is finally set to proceed in a Derbyshire town – but it will be a heavily scaled-back version of the plan.
Amber Valley Borough Council had signed off on plans to expand the Field Lane car park in Belper, next to the town’s train station, almost six years ago, but in all that time no work has taken place on site.
Its approved budget was £437,000 in 2020 but surging prices and inflation saw the proposed cost soar past £1 million in 2022, with quotes only able to lower this to £695,000, far above budget.
The 100-space scheme was significantly pared back in 2022 to 20 bays, without the planned new waiting area and toilets, cycle storage, ticket booth and drinks and snacks station.
The future prospect of the broader scheme was put on the back burner should further funding become available, with the council itself financially constrained.
Four years later the council says it is now ready to proceed with the 20-space expansion, with new lighting, costing £100,000 – less than a quarter of the original budget – with scope to go as high as £150,000.
Council papers say data has sealed the deal on this heavily scaled-back project, rather than just the cost.
Car park usage is no longer as high as pre-pandemic levels, removing the business case for such a large expansion.
However, its papers compared figures for November 2019-February 2020 and November 2021-February 2022, more than four years ago, with no up-to-date data quoted.
The council says data just before the pandemic saw car park usage at 67,003 vehicles over four months between November 2019 and February 2020, compared to 56,420 between November 2021 and February 2022 – a 15.8 per cent drop.
It writes: “Whilst the usage of the car park may in time recover to pre-Covid levels, it seems unlikely that the previous level of growth is likely to return for the foreseeable future.
“Therefore, the underpinning rationale for a substantial extension and resurfacing does not currently exist.
“Given this material change in circumstances, it would be difficult to recommend continuing with the project in its original form.
“However, the opportunity remains to implement a more modest scheme, which would provide additional parking capacity, particularly during peak times, such as Saturdays and during events.
“In this scenario, a small extension to the stoned area will be implemented and bay markings will be introduced, using kerb edgings or similar, which would sit flush with the stoned surface.”
Despite this, the council says: “Should circumstances alter in future, it will remain possible to revert to a more comprehensive scheme as originally envisaged. Similarly, should partners secure funding for the modular building, then it will be possible to incorporate this at a later date.”
The car park currently has 210 spaces and this would increase to 230 spaces, with the 20-space expansion to bring in £18,500 in additional income, with previous expansion to 100 spaces to have brought £43,000 extra a year.
Previously the council had spent £30,000 on feasibility studies to build a hotel on the site, with firms subsequently submitting bids, which were never disclosed, but this was scrapped after the site fell short of requirements from interested parties due to a lack of direct A6 access.
Housing plans were also touted but these were rejected due to the “critical” importance of the car park site.
Amber Valley’s cabinet, now Labour-led but with minority control, is due to sign off on the update this week, with funding to be redirected from the project towards buying a semi-detached one-bed house at 3 Gladstone Street, Heanor, from Derbyshire County Council, to turn it into an affordable rented council property.
This property connects to a semi-detached house at 1 Gladstone Street, which the borough bought from the county council in 2020, as part of a land swap with the authority over the construction of the new Alfreton Park School.
The borough says having both adjoining properties will allow savings in carrying out a joint renovation for both homes, with no work carried out on the home bought six years ago.
These homes will produce £9,500 in rental income.