Leased car park’s upper storey closed for safety reasons
UPDATE: part of the upper tier has now been re-opened following a further inspection. Only around 30 spaces are out of action (12/2).
The upper tier of a Harpenden car park - leased by St Albans City and District Council - has been shut for safety reasons until further notice.
Around 100 spaces have been put out of action at Bowers Way West with some 60 spaces on the ground floor still available.
The Council has been informed that a structural weakness had been identified during an inspection of the building which is owned by Edenrise Properties.
Council officers are now waiting for an update from Edenrise about their future plans.
Councillor Helen Campbell, Lead for Car Parking, said:
This issue came as a bolt out of the blue and was completely unexpected.
Sainsbury’s, who also lease some of the site, advised us about the issue and we had no option but to order the car park’s upper storey to be closed to ensure the safety of the public.
It is most unfortunate news for Harpenden where demand for parking spaces is high.
However, I am sure residents will understand that this issue is completely out of our control as we do not own the building or have responsibility for maintaining its structure, and safety needs to be the primary concern.
Our car parking team has been at the scene and started discussions with Edenrise about the next steps. We will keep residents informed about any updates we receive.
Bowers Way West season ticket holders will be allowed to use Bowers Way East, which has 148 spaces and three disabled bays, at no extra charge.
The Council operates two other car parks in Harpenden with a further 532 spaces: Lydekker, which is owned by Harpenden Town Council, and Amenbury Lane.
You can find out more about our car parks here: https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/car-parks-and-street-pay-and-display
Media contact: John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer: 01727- 819533; john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk.