A decision on the future of a collapsed car park in Mansfield is expected “very soon”, according to the leader of the district council.
The top floor of Walkden Street car park, one of the town centre’s main parking sites, collapsed at the end of August last year. The car park, along with three shops in ground-floor units, has remained closed since.
Before the collapse, the car park had been due to undergo a multi-million-pound repair project. After the incident, Mansfield District Council said demolition would instead be pursued.
That process was later delayed after Tesco, which leases the site from the council, became involved. Legal discussions between the parties have continued since.
Andy Abrahams, Mansfield’s Labour mayor, said that the council and other organisations involved are now close to setting out what will happen next.
He said: “We have been working hard with all the partners involved around Walkden Street. That includes Tesco, B&M and those involved with the lease in London. We will be coming to a conclusion of all those different meetings and negotiations very soon.”
Asked whether an agreement had been reached, Mr Abrahams said he could not confirm that “at this point in time”.
He said: “It’s a very complex situation. There’s still 49 years of a 99-year lease left and all kinds of ridiculous things like that. We think it’s a structural collapse due to a failure of the original design. There’s all kind of legal and engineering ramifications.
“That’s why it hasn’t been straightforward to move ahead and do the demolition. But those negotiations and discussions are coming to a conclusion quite soon and we’ll be saying how we’re going to move forward.”
Mr Abrahams did not give a specific date for the update.
He said: “I can only say very soon at the moment. If you’d asked me at the end of January, I probably would have said a similar answer then, because the level of complexity around it was still unfolding.
“But what I’m saying now is that we’re in a different situation to towards the end of January. All the professional opinions, expert witnesses, all the things you have to take advice on before you come to a decision are coming to a conclusion. Very soon will be quite soon.”
The council has said legal issues have limited what can be made public while discussions continue.
The length of the closure has caused concern among nearby traders and members of the public. The car park overlooks Stockwell Gate, a pedestrian street lined with businesses.
Fencing installed to keep the public away from the site extends part-way across the street, and traders have said it has made the area appear closed and reduced footfall.
The council and its partners have used social media posts and signage to make clear that nearby shops remain open.
One business was also given tax relief following the closure, with the council saying it understood concerns about the impact on trade.
Mr Abrahams said health and safety remained the priority, and that the legal and engineering issues around the site had made progress more difficult.
