New Lancaster city centre parking strategy ‘will give clarity to businesses and wider community’

The strategy has been revised following consultation with businesses and the community last year and will be discussed by Lancaster City Council’s cabinet next week.

The current location, ease of availability and location of city centre parking ‘is a major factor in congestion and harmful vehicle circulation, and does little to support alternative and lower-emission travel’, a report from the consultation states.

Last year’s consultation included Lancaster and Morecambe Chamber of Commerce, Lancaster Business Improvement District (BID) and Lancaster Grand Theatre. There were also briefings for councillors, publicity, online activity and face-to-face meetings.

Overall, Lancaster parking space is based across a mix of locations and owners. There are off-street sites owned by the city council or private operators, on-street parking, supermarket parking and other arrangements. Further away is the park-and-ride site by Junction 34 of the M6.

The new report focuses on sites owned, or potentially available by lease, to the city council. Overall, 1,584 general parking spaces could be available by late 2028 with some changes. City centre parking ‘ambitions’ range between a lower figure of 1,400 spaces and a higher one of 1,500.

On paper, the city council currently has a total of 1,624 spaces, of which around 1,589 are available for general use by the public.

However, spaces actually available have been cut to 1,329 because of the temporary closure of Castle Car Park, which is not owned by the council.

But making changes elsewhere and getting the Castle site reopened could deliver 1,584 general spaces in coming years.

Land sales and new property developments, including the Canal Quarter area, are among the factors. Existing spaces could be lost in St Leonardgate and Nelson Street car parks over coming years, but others could be created at Edward Street and Kingsway.

Upper and Lower St Leonardgate currently have 203 spaces, but those could be gone by 2027, while Nelson Street’s 120 spaces are set to disappear too.

Kingsway currently has just 16 spaces for general use, but an extra 100 could be created there.

An Edward Street extension has 112 spaces and a further 60 could be created in a phase called Edward Street 2.

Reopening the Castle car park would bring 287 spaces, if details can be reached with its owner after it was closed for structural reasons.

Other locations include Moor Mills 4, which has 100 spaces for evenings, weekends and bank holidays.

In the consultation last year, the report says people called for:

• A clearer, phased and pragmatic approach to parking if current sites, particularly in the Canal Quarter, are sold for housing or commercial uses.
• Improved data collection and analysis.
• Enhanced communication and transparency in consultation.
• Integration of a Lancaster parking strategy with broader planning and transport initiatives.
• More certainty about locations and feasibility of new parking provision and any new green transport or multi-storey hubs, if these are to be developed.

Now, council officers are recommending the cabinet approve the revised strategy. They say it will give parking clarity to everyone and also the council’s broader goals for the local economy, housing and climate action. In addition, it will link to council budget plans and wider regional transport decisions.

The consultation report says significant responsibilities for major regional transport decisions and investment lie with Lancashire County Council, the new Lancashire Combined County Authority and national agencies.