Car park plans for town centre 'short of spaces'

A new public car park could ease a town's long-standing shortage of spaces.

Britannia Parking, based in Poole, wants to use a former garage site in New Road, Shaftesbury to create a 75-space parking area.

The car park would include including electric vehicle charge points and spaces for motorhomes.

The town has long been short of suitable parking areas close to the shops, arts centre and other attractions.

The 0.2 hectare site, which has already been cleared, is opposite the town centre's main car park in Bell Street.

Britannia said it would provide spaces for four motorhomes on the site with an entrance to the new car park on New Road.

An exit onto Kings Hill, with a short section of footway to be built along the north side of Bleke Street, would also be added.

Planning agents for the parking company said the new use will be good news for the town.

They said: "The proposal in putting the site to a productive and active use includes new surfacing, and the planting of hedges and trees will reduce the openness over time.

"The initial bare openness of the site will be reduced over time as plants mature. This will provide both screening and softening of the site which has for many years stood open and unused."

Past planning permissions for the site have included a 28-bed retirement home and a proposal for 24 homes.

A report to Dorset Council said: [Since 2001]the town has grown by around 3000 whilst accompanying a significant reduction in spaces available [in the town centre].

Past planning permissions for the site have included a 28-bed retirement home and a proposal for 24 homes.

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