Motorists visiting Bolton Town Centre can continue to park hassle-free after the council stepped in to secure the long-term future of the area’s carparks.
The move comes after national provider NCP entered administration in March this year, impacting carparks in towns and cities across the UK.
Bolton Council acted quickly, reaching a temporary agreement with the administrators to keep the gates open while a permanent solution was found.
Now Bolton Council has confirmed that seven vital town centre car parks have been brought in-house and will carry on operating as normal:
- Topp Way multistorey
- Octagon multistorey
- Deane Road multistorey
- Octagon surface car park
- Blackhorse Street
- Back Cheapside
- Ashburner Street
The council is in the process of taking full control of the car parks, including pricing, management and investment.
The council also recently announced that it would take over running the town centre’s CCTV network from NCP.
It gives the council greater control over the day-to-day operation of this critical safety system, and with the backing of the Pride in Place Impact Fund has allowed the council to invest in and improve the CCTV network.
Bolton Council Executive Member for Highways, Transport and Planning, Cllr Nadeem Ayub, said:
“Whether people are coming to Bolton town centre to live, work, study, visit or invest it is essential that we have the parking capacity to cope with the demand.
“As we begin to see the benefits of the council’s ongoing investment in the regeneration of our town centre, this demand is likely to increase.
“This includes demolition now underway at Crompton Place and the Wellspring Innovation Hub recently reaching 85% capacity.
“This decision ends the uncertainty and speculation over the future of our car parks and will give investors and businesses confidence in the future our town centre.
“Changes and improvement to our CCTV camera network will also help make our town centre safe and welcoming for everyone.”