Major car park expansion in Stamford due to cost £550k
South Kesteven District Council is looking to increase off street parking spaces across the town
A major expansion to a car park in Stamford is set to cost about £550,000.
In an effort to increase off-street parking spaces across the town, South Kesteven District Council is planning to expand its Cattlemarket car park, near the town meadows.
Initially planned in 2020 with an additional 80 spaces, the final design published in August increased this to 146 spaces, with 11 accessible bays and provision for a further eight EV charging points.
The car park currently provides 275 spaces, plus 15 for disabled users.
However, one area within the car park, extending to one acre, has remained undeveloped for some time. According to council documents, this area has not been used since the former Cattle Market buildings were demolished many years ago.
The council’s cabinet is due to discuss the proposal on Tuesday (November 5), with the planning committee set to review the extension application two days later on Thursday, November 7.
A tender and specifications to appoint a contractor to undertake the works has already been prepared, with plans to issue it in early November, subject to planning permission.
If approved, work is expected to commence early in the new year. An approved capital budget of £550K is in place for the project.
Councillor Richard Cleaver (Independent), cabinet member for property and public engagement, previously stressed the expansion would be vital to support economic growth.
He said: “An additional 146 spaces in the town will make a big difference and I’m really pleased that we are putting this infrastructure in place before any extra homes are built.”
A survey carried out on Friday, November 3 and Saturday, November 4, 2023 highlighted that Stamford’s car parks are particularly busy on Fridays due to the market and on Saturdays. The survey revealed a lack of available spaces, with many town centre car parks full during peak times.
On the Saturday, car parks were observed to get busier in the early afternoon, while on-street spaces in Bath Row and Broad Street were mostly full throughout the day.