Plan is to build at Britannia and Vineyard Street car parks

Vineyard Street car park (101 parking spaces) is estimated to attract 4,000 plus visitors/shoppers per week, Britannia car park with 369 parking spaces is estimated to attract 18,000-plus visitors/shoppers per week.

The closure of these two car parks will result in the loss of 18,000-plus visitors/shoppers per week - the consequent loss of revenue to the town centre businesses is incalculable.

Britannia Car Park

It would be wrong to assume that those visitors/shoppers would all travel to Colchester town centre by bus – the majority of them would either drive to out-of-town stores, or to other town centres.

Your report quotes the council as saying “it will look to provide alternative car parking spaces elsewhere in the town centre”.

I have run my own business in the town centre since 1986, I do not know of any “alternative car parking spaces” in the town centre that could possibly accommodate the thousands of cars that would be forced to vacate both Britannia and Vineyard Street car parks.

There is no doubt in my mind that if this plan goes ahead it will ruin the town centre economy – it should be dismissed immediately.

The above figures refer to pre-Covid19 times.

Ron Levy

Secretary, Colchester Retail Business Association (CORBA)

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