Petition launched against Cleethorpes car park extension

A petition opposing the £3.5 million extension to the Grant Street car park in Cleethorpes has been launched.

A local councillor who has added her name to it says that the plans are a “big gamble”, and a park and ride would be better for Cleethorpes.

The single-storey extension to the existing car park is set to increase the number of spaces from 65 to 339, with larger parking bays and electric vehicle charging points.

However, it has been revealed that the existing car park currently generates just £23,000 a year, with revenue used to pay back the £3.5 million loan.

The council hopes it would alleviate parking problems in the resort and reduce congestion, and that revenue will significantly increase after the upgrade.

Sidney Sussex Councillor Marie Green said: “The car park is empty most of the time. It is only really used on bank holidays.

“People on Grant Street aren’t happy about this. They don’t want to see another level added to it.

“And where is all this extra revenue going to come from? Even if the car park is promoted, the figures just don’t add up.

“It seems like a big gamble, and I don’t want our council to go into huge debt over this. It’s an awful lot of money to be spending on a car park.

“Nobody wants to pay to park. People will walk miles if they can save a few pounds, and they are more likely to park somewhere free like on a residential street.”

The scheme was approved in December, with work expected to take place out of season.

Councillor Green said that a park and ride system would be more effective and environmentally friendly.

“The traffic needs to be stopped before it gets as far as Cleethorpes,” she said.

“The pollution along Isaac’s Hill is already disgusting every weekend.

“A park and ride out of town would be more effective. Visitors could catch buses to stop all the traffic building up into Cleethorpes.”

The online petition to stop the development has around 100 signatures.

A spokesperson for North East Lincolnshire Council previously said that the estimation was based off the car park’s current usage.

“A single-storey extension to the existing Grant Street Car Park is expected to generate a substantially higher income than at present,” the spokesperson said.

“Currently, almost half of the users park for four hours or more, a quarter of users park between two and four hours, and 11% of users park for up to an hour. With the number of chargeable spaces set to increase from 65 to 339, keeping the same uptake percentages will see an increase in the income generated from the car park. This revenue will be used to pay back the funds required to build the extension.

“Bigger parking bays, electric vehicle spaces, lighting, CCTV, being part of the Park Mark Safer Parking scheme, as well as improved signage to the car park, will all be part of the overall scheme and will support in increasing its uptake.

“With a current shortage of car parking in Cleethorpes during the peak tourist season, it is vital we cater for the volume of traffic we welcome to the resort. The single-storey extension to Grant Street Car Park will relieve some of the parking pressures in existing resort car parks and side streets, and also reduce the need for visitors to drive around the resort searching for somewhere to park, therefore, reducing congestion and helping the environment.”

The council would also like to hear from those likely to be directly impacted by the project and any improvements and additions they would like to see.

To take part in the consultation, people can visit www.nelincs.gov.uk/have-your-say.

Alternatively, you can call 01472 324380 or email [email protected].