City car park 'at risk of closure' without repairs

A city centre multi-storey car park might have to close unless repairs are carried out, a council report has warned.

An investigation found a number of faults with the 1,084-space St Andrews car park on Duke Street in Norwich, which could affect its long-term safety.

Spending £500,000 on repairs to steelworks and drainage systems has been proposed, with a wider £3m project to ensure the structure's future.

Norwich City Council has been advised against closing the car park permanently, and cabinet will discuss the next steps on Wednesday.

In a report, an officer said: "The car park is an important local asset. It supports transport links, brings in a significant revenue stream and serves the community.

"If the issues aren't addressed in a timely way, there would be a risk of closure, which would impact both users and parking account income.

"Doing nothing is not viable. Failure to act will lead to progressive deterioration and eventual closure."

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the facility raised about £3.2m of revenue each year.

The work is expected to be carried out in phases and could be done between the next five to 10 years.

A range of improvements have been made to the car park since it was opened in 2005 and cost £9.3m

Despite winning "best new car park of the year", cracks were discovered four years later and props were put in place to secure the building.

In 2015, the authority spent £1.1m on repairs, which led to one third of the spaces being closed.

Safety improvements of £1.2m were carried out in 2022.

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