Date issued: 21 May 2020
Opening times at St John’s multi-storey car park are to be reduced from 25 May 2020.
To ensure motorists who use the car park off Southway can continue to enjoy a safe and clean environment, Colchester Borough Council has taken the step to close the multi-storey from 7pm each evening, rather than the normal 10.30pm.
The move, which will be reviewed in July, has been prompted by increasing incidents of antisocial behaviour by a small minority of people late at night, coupled with reduced demand for evening parking since the Government’s lockdown measures were introduced.
Cllr Mike Lilley, Colchester Borough Council Portfolio Holder for Communities, Wellbeing and Public Safety, said: “We have taken the decision to close St John’s Car Park earlier than normal to help deter crime and antisocial behaviour.
“Some of the behaviour we have been witnessing recently is unacceptable and we will no longer tolerate it. We want to ensure that motorists who pay to park there have a safe and clean environment in which to leave their vehicles.
“In addition, we have seen a significant reduction in footfall in the Town Centre since lockdown began, so it also makes some commercial sense to close the car park early to help reduce our operating costs until life returns to normal.”
The ground-floor shopping centre beneath the car park closes at 6pm and alternative surface parking is available at St Mary’s, Vineyard Street and Britannia car parks nearby. Information on these and other car parks in the town centre can be found at colchester.gov.uk/parking.
The announcement follows the announcement of a three-year extension to the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) covering nine designated council-run car parks around the town centre, which came into force on 15 May 2020.
Page last reviewed: 19 May 2020