All Change At The Charter Car Park With £300,000 Of Improvements

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 19th Jul 2006

Abingdon Councillors are confident that recent improvements to the town centre Charter Multi-Storey Car Park will make it safer and easier for everyone to use.

The improvements, which cost the Council more than £300,000, include redecoration of the three staircases, resurfacing the upper levels to make them safer in slippery conditions, putting safer crash barriers in, fencing off the upper levels to stop young people causing disturbances and removing all the unsightly graffiti around the building.

The car park has new parent and child parking bays, additional parking bays for disabled users, clearer signs, and the facility to lock the upper levels of the car park overnight to reduce anti-social behaviour. As a result:

Levels 3 and above will now be locked overnight between 7.30pm and 7am from Mondays to Saturdays and all day on Sundays, to increase safety and security. Levels 1 and 2 will remain open for use.

Pay & Display customer parking has been moved to levels 4 and above. This will improve safety for everyone by generating more activity throughout the building and therefore provide increased security.

Business permit holders will have exclusive use of the lower ground floor, level 1 but they can also park on all other levels except level 2.

Finally, local residents and visitors can park free of charge between 6.30pm and 8am on level 1 in the multi-storey, as they currently can in all other Council car parks.

Abingdon Councillor Tony de Vere said: "The recent works have been extensive and follow discussions with staff and with local residents. Residents have complained about the car park being used late at night by young people who have made too much noise. The new measures to close the upper levels will address this and they will ensure the car park is looked after. This is a real improvement to our town centre which I welcome.