Upper floors at Carlton Street car park to remain closed

The upper floors of Carlton Street car park in Weston-super-Mare will remain closed for the foreseeable future.

A recent survey of the car park's upper floors (Levels 2 and above) uncovered structural concerns and lifts which need replacing.

The lower floors (Level 1 and 1a) were also assessed and will remain open.

Options for the re-opening of the upper floors are under consideration, however it is likely that they will be closed for a number of months.

The council is also exploring its options for legal action in relation to the construction and ownership of the building, which it leases.

Cllr Hannah Young, Executive Member with responsibility for parking services at North Somerset Council, said: "The safety of Carlton Street car park users is paramount and it's necessary for us to close the upper floors while we assess our options.

"We have extended the opening hours of other car parks nearby and there are good public transport links into the town. We will also monitor demand and traffic impacts and if there are ongoing problems will look at anything else we can do to help reduce impacts of the partial closure.

"We are in talks with legal advisers and expert surveyors and are exploring all options with the aim of reopening the car park as soon as possible."

The council is aware of the potential impact on residents and visitors to the town and will be putting in place a number of measures.

Travelling by bus and rail

Where possible, visitors are asked to use sustainable and active transport options, to reduce pressure on town centre roads and parking.

There are a number of regular bus services to Weston-super-Mare's town centre including the 1, 5, 6, 7, 20, X1, X5, 125 and 126.

Rail options include regular trains from Bristol, Nailsea & Backwell, Yatton, Weston Milton and Worle Parkway. The town centre is only a few minutes' walk from the train station.

Alternative parking

Additional information and signage will be provided to direct visitors to alternative car parks throughout the town.

The Sovereign has over 800 spaces and will be the ideal choice for many visitors, in a central location between the high street and seafront, less than five minutes' walk from the cinema. Parking here is £1 for one hour, increasing to £5 for 24 hours. Normal opening hours will be extended to 11pm Sunday - Thursday and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays to help meet any extra demand.

Other alternatives include Locking Road, with long-stay parking available at only £6 for 4 - 24 hours, or Weston seafront, where evening parking is free of charge.

EV charging points are available at Melrose car park on the seafront and at Worle Diamond Batch station car park.

Additional parking

The council will monitor demand and traffic pressures resulting from the partial closure of Carlton Street and, if there is particularly high demand, explore options for opening Dolphin Square, providing spaces for up to 200 additional vehicles.

For updates and information on parking in Weston-super-Mare, and across North Somerset, please visit www.n-somerset.gov.uk/parking.