Last week Mansfield District Council took the decision to close Walkden Street multi-story car park to undertake some essential maintenance and inspections.
Following these inspections, several structural maintenance issues have been identified. As a precautionary measure and in the interest of public safety, the authority says that it has decided to keep the car park closed until necessary repairs are undertaken.
The inspections, carried out by structural experts, have highlighted the need for comprehensive maintenance to ensure the future safety and integrity of the structure, and the scope of the required repairs is extensive.
A spokesperson said:
‘Given the complexity of the work, we anticipate that the car park will remain closed for at least 12 months to enable a work programme to be developed.
‘In addition to addressing the structural concerns at Walkden Street, we have also been actively evaluating our multi-story car park facilities, including the Four Seasons Shopping Centre. At this location, we have already conducted inspection work in the last few months to assess its future refurbishment needs.’
‘Currently, customers may have noticed small areas within the car park have been cordoned off. This has been to facilitate isolated repairs and testing works. We are working closely with structural engineering experts to develop a comprehensive refurbishment works programme for the Four Seasons car park.’
‘We anticipate that we will be in a position to appoint a contractor to take this programme forward in summer 2024. These works will include concrete deck waterproofing, drainage repairs and replacement, resurfacing of the upper decks, and aesthetic enhancements. Once the works commence, it is anticipated the project will take approximately 9 to 12 months to complete.’
‘While these works take place, sections of the car park will remain open and accessible to customers, and we will aim to keep disruptions to a minimum. Further details on the car park work will be released in the summer.’
‘We would like to reassure visitors that there are adequate parking provisions in the town to accommodate the closure of Walkden Street and for when works commence at Four Seasons.’
The total investment for these essential works in the Four Seasons multi-storey will be around £2 million, and this funding has already been identified within the council’s approved capital programme.
In the meantime, visitors looking for places to park in town can visit www.mansfield.gov.uk/parking . Disabled visitors into the town centre can still utilise designated blue badge parking bays in car parks or use the hard standing bay on White Hart Street, for example.
