April 11, 2011 4.34 pm This story is over 155 months old

Another setback for Lincoln’s Park & Ride

Park and pause: Lincoln’s Park and Ride scheme has been put on hold to let other projects take precedence.

The Lincoln Park and Ride Scheme has suffered a second setback, after it was pushed back to a later date by Lincolnshire County Council.

The council has put the scheme, which aimed to relieve some traffic woes in the city, on a low priority list so it can focus on projects like the Eastern Bypass.

Despite picking three possible locations in the west, north-east and south-east of the city, the council said the project will need private funding to continue.

In December 2010, the Park and Ride project failed to receive £1.4 million in funding from central government.

Senior project leader Les Outram said: “All partners working on the park and ride project have agreed that the east-west link road and eastern bypass should take priority.

“This, of course, limits the speed at which we can deliver the park and ride scheme. However, progress is still being made.

“We have been looking at the feasibility of three sites around the city. Two of the sites are likely to be delivered alongside housing and industrial developments.

“The third site can be delivered without such complementary developments, and we’ve carried out additional work on this site, including an alternative funding proposal.

“We’ll now be meeting with stakeholders in the project to discuss how best to proceed.”

The most likely spot to become a Park and Ride location is in the west, where the A46 Carholme Roundabout meets with the A57.

Lincoln MP Karl McCartney is disappointed that the scheme has been put on hold.

He said: “I have, for some time, been very clear that Lincoln and our County of Lincolnshire would benefit in many ways from a well thought out, holistic and well-funded Park and Ride scheme.

“I have also been clear, however, that transport nodes or interchange locations need to be carefully selected for geographical attractiveness in order to maximise any opportunity for expansion and the promotion of alternative travel to the City Centre.

“I, for one, will continue to impress upon my colleagues in the County Council and elsewhere, the need for improvements to the transport infrastructure of Lincoln and Lincolnshire, and Park and Ride is, I feel, a pivotal part of that.”

Related Report: BBC Lincolnshire