Horsham District Council are reviewing parking facilities in Horsham, which may result in a reduction in the number of car parks in the town centre.
Since 2018, a growing number of customers have parked at the new 24 hour, 516-space facilities at Piries Place Car Park in the town centre, enjoying the modern, clean environment with wider parking spaces and electric charge points.
After reviewing parking data, the Council is taking a strategic approach to their parking assets, by proposing to decommission the surface car park at London Road.
This car park has been closed since 2020, as the site was used as an NHS testing centre.
The Council will be engaging with users of its car parks and consulting with businesses and the public over the next few weeks before any firm decisions are taken on the London Road Car Park at the end of September.
However, early indications are that the car park is surplus to requirements with a shift towards more flexible parking habits from season ticket holders due to hybrid working.
Previous users of London Road Car Park have been easily accommodated elsewhere in the town over the last two years.
Although dwell time across all car parks remains down on pre-pandemic levels, parking numbers have now virtually recovered to earlier levels.
Footfall in the town centre has increased, and new retail interest in vacant shops will help to revitalise the high street, helping to once again establish Horsham as a thriving town.
Horsham District Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Parking said:
I am delighted that majority of Horsham Town Centre is thriving post the pandemic, however one area that has changed is residents’ working behaviours.
With less people commuting to work and more residents now working from home the demand for season ticket spaces is significantly down. The London Road Car Park was primarily a season ticket holder car park and with the increase in town centre spaces boosted by Piries Place Car Park in recent years, the London Road Car Park would now appear to be surplus to requirements.
We will be looking at the options for the site in due course if the site is decommissioned, and we will undertake a full consultation with key stakeholders.
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