MORE than 60 parking spaces are set to be created in Christchurch town centre this year with plans drawn up by council engineers to extend two existing car parks.

The overgrown rear garden of a property in Wick Lane has been acquired by the council and is earmarked for clearance and hard surfacing to provide an extra 15 spaces for the adjoining car park off Regent Way - and an unused grassed area behind the police station and former magistrates courts complex off Bargates will add an estimated 50 spaces to the present car park there.

Subject to planning consent and final approval by councillors, both schemes are scheduled to be completed during the current financial year.

The prospect of much-needed extra parking has been welcomed by business leaders, who have long campaigned for more spaces, both short-stay for shoppers and long-stay areas for town centre workers.

Chamber of Trade junior vice-president Nicky Sale, who runs the Signature dress shop in Church Street, said: "Christchurch has got some lovely shops but the town does need more parking spaces and these are the right places for them.

"Wick Lane is one of the main car parks for shoppers while extra spaces at the law courts will encourage more people to that part of the town and provide more long-stay spaces which we also need."

Council assistant director of technical services Peter Barker said the Wick Lane extension would only be an interim measure pending a major review of car parking strategy in the town centre and the council's long-term plans to redevelop the frontage of the properties at 11 and 13 Wick Lane.

As well as creating extra spaces, the planned clearance work would also allow improved CCTV coverage and improve the drainage of that corner of the Wick Lane car park.

He said the law courts car park extension would serve to meet the demand for long-stay parking and students attending the adult education centre housed there.

First published: May 20