Car park in Sleaford set to be closed for resurfacing as council outlines future parking strategy

North Kesteven District Council says its Grantham Road Car Park in Sleaford will be closed from 6.30am on Wednesday, November 12 until 5pm on Friday, November 28 for its contractors to resurface the immediate area as you enter the car park due to deteriorating condition of the surface.

All vehicles must be removed from the car park by 6am on November 12.

An NKDC spokesperson said the area being resurfaced will be for 25 parking spaces, including four disabled spaces – in the area closest to the entrance.

"Once complete this area and the remaining car park area will be open for use,” said the spokesperson.

The council’s proposal to close off the remaining area of the car park, due to lack of use, is not being undertaken at this stage.

The council’s executive board met on Thursday (November 6) to discuss progress on the district’s ongoing strategy for parking in the Sleaford area to boost the town’s prosperity.

Among plans include an aim to increase the numbers of dedicated spaces for Blue Badge holders in the Moneys Yard car park as part of any future redesign of the area for the proposed Heart of Sleaford regeneration project focussing on public realm amenities on land behind the Bristol Arcade and the former Corn Exchange buildings, including buying up land beside the River Slea to create a footbridge link to Money’s Yard.

In September the council set aside a £410,000 capital budget for Moneys Yard and the Heart of Sleaford project including improvements to car parking and public realm. The council had also budgeted £4million for a cinema project just off the Market Place but that has been on hold since the Covid pandemic affected the cinema industry and changed viewing habits.

Back in October 2018, the Executive Board considered its car parking strategy and agreed a number of short, medium and long term actions for Sleaford and a number of schemes have been delivered.

There have since been further car park related issues such as the closure of the Market Place to parking apart from disabled bays, the closure of the private car park on Southgate and plans to build a new public car park on Kesteven Street.

The Executive Board also considered a new ‘full week and overnight’ parking permits for Grantham Road car park and installed new car park machines and alternative payment options after the old machines were plagued by issues with internet connections.

Council officers provided an update to the executive board on Thursday due to these significant investments and developments, post pandemic changing behaviour and an evolving town centre.

The council currently operates eight car parks in Sleaford with 564 spaces, of which 36 are specific to blue badge holders. According to their report, officers said current usage levels vary. A survey showed that occupancy at midday on a Saturday varies from four per cent for Grantham Road car park, increasing levels for other car parks through to 99 per cent for Moneys Yard car park. At a similar time on a Monday shows a similar sliding scale between all car parks of between six per cent and 77 per cent occupancy levels.

Officers said work currently being carried out to create the Kesteven Street Car Park will increase capacity. “Therefore the council has / will have an adequate supply of parking across the town to meet current and future expected demand and so the strategy should focus on use levels to meet different customer needs.”

This has prompted a plan for a “joined-up approach to parking” involving policies to reduce congestion by evenly spreading use of all car parks and promoting appealing and safe parking options. The council aims to work more closely with Sleaford Town Council to improve and resurface Eastgate car park (which it owns), with work likely to start in the new year and to agree consistent parking fees aligned with the new Kesteven Street car park.

Based on demand, as part of ongoing maintenance and improvements the council plans to increase car park bay sizes without significantly reducing the number of spaces, install large bays for SUVs, as well as camper vans and coaches in peripheral car parks at Grantham Road and East Banks, while improving the quality and quantity of parking provision for Blue Badge users by dedicating much of Moneys Yard car park.

They also aim to assess how and where to offer electric vehicle charging points if demand is there, complete with information on options via websites, apps and advertising, and, in time, offering improved walking and cycling routes into the town centre.

Bays for motorcycles and bicycles, taxis would be created in areas with demand as well as drop-off / pick-up bays in hotspot areas.

Officers also wish to assess the requirement and feasibility of coach parking in either the Lafford Terrace or East Banks car park areas.

All these changes will feed into clear guidance on which car parks suit different needs, linked to a map of the town centre, along with signage and wider travel guidance that can be used as a link by local businesses.