Council formally secures ownership of Hexham parking site
03 Dec 2020 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news
The County Council has formally signed the contract that will secure hundreds of new parking spaces in Hexham and support the economic growth of the town.
The Council had previously identified the need for significant additional parking capacity to be provided for visitors, shoppers and people working in the town centre.
It has worked with developer Union Properties to bring forward proposals for the redevelopment of the disused ‘Bunker’ site off Alemouth Road to include a new 250 space long stay public car park.
The Council has now completed the legal documents to buy the new car park once it has been constructed, which will comprise 250 spaces, include electric vehicle charging provision and be operated as a long stay facility, helping alleviate the pressure on long stay parking in Wentworth car park.
The carpark will stand alongside a 69-bedroom Travelodge and Lidl store and there will be significant work on the highways infrastructure to improve access to the site and pedestrian routes into the town centre.
The Council is now legally committed to purchasing the new car park, enabling the developer to start work on the site early next year.
Hexham Central with Acomb Councillor Trevor Cessford weloomed the news and said: “This has been a long time coming since I first made contact with the owner of the Bunker Site to see if the land could be sold for redevelopment.
“I was very pleased when the administration agreed with me that the extra provision of long term parking should be a priority for Hexham, so to see it finally coming to fruition is very welcome. I also believe that the addition of the 69 bed hotel is also much needed to advance our tourism offer.”
Council Leader Glen Sanderson added: “This is a great milestone and once complete will take some of the pressure of Wentworth carpark which is extremely popular with both residents and visitors.
“This is a great project and along with the hotel and supermarket will create scores of jobs and be a great boost to the town’s economy, and will help it recover from the impact of the pandemic.”