The new civic hub building in Radcliffe will have no dedicated car parking spaces for visitors, councillors have heard. A planning application for the building, along with a redesign of the town’s market and the transformation of the Market Chambers and town square, is due to be lodged this month.
The new centre is set to house the town’s swimming pool, indoor sport and leisure, library, a café and health facilities. Possible parking solutions for people in vehicles visiting the centre, include placing time restrictions of a maximum two or three hour stay on existing public car parking.
Other measures being discussed include increasing on street parking and leasing some private car parking areas. Longer term plans for the town include ‘provision of a travel hub which would include multi-storey car parking along with facilities for sustainable transport infrastructure’.
A council report to the Radcliffe cabinet committee, who met earlier this week, said: “It is considered that the proposed hub building is in a sustainable location, within the heart of Radcliffe and within walking distance of both the bus station and Metrolink stop. “Given the site’s location, it is not proposed that any additional car parking will be specifically provided within the planning application for the hub, apart from disabled bays.
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“Instead, it is proposed that measures will be put in place on some of the existing public car parking facilities to facilitate greater turnover of spaces.
“This will help to provide car parking space for those visiting the hub or visiting other parts of the town centre using a car.
“To help encourage a higher turnover of spaces, time-restricted parking on council-owned car parks in close proximity to the hub building could be implemented with a two or three-hour maximum stay.
“Putting short stay restrictions on public owned car parks is likely to displace those that are currently using the existing car parks for long stay.
“The provision of unrestricted on-street car parking elsewhere in the town will help provide for these users.” The report said there is a significant amount of private car parking capacity in Radcliffe, which is under-utilised during week days.
The council said that leasing car parking spaces from private landowners would be a short-term option which could help to provide additional capacity.
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