Cabinet delays Waterloo car park project to explore sustainable transport options

Cotswold District Council (CDC) will use the delay to understand the post-COVID-19  demand for parking in the town and explore sustainable transport options for Cirencester, and the district as a whole. 

Leader of the Council, Cllr Joe Harris, said: "The pandemic and resulting lockdown have commanded a significant amount of the Council’s time and resources in recent months, and as we move into the recovery phase it is important that we take time to review and challenge all plans and decisions we’ve previously made and the potential opportunities that the post-coronavirus world brings. This is especially the case with respect to parking in Cirencester.  

"I am obviously acutely aware of the need to support business recovery in the town, the recently completed Sheep street car park has added additional town centre parking and the Rugby Club development will provide new spaces for season ticket parking. That will free up spaces in the town centre for short term parking by shoppers.  

"We have therefore taken the considered decision to postpone our development of the Waterloo Carpark for the next 12 months.  

"So much of our normal way of life has changed since lockdown began in March – car use is down, home-working has increased exponentially and people are making far fewer journeys than before.  

"We want to make the most of this opportunity to review the challenges we face around parking and travel within our district, and how we get more people visiting and shopping in our towns, all with our firm commitment to protecting our climate for future generations in mind."

Cllr Rachel Coxcoon, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, said: "I’m incredibly pleased that we’ve made the decision to rethink parking provision in Cirencester. It is really important that we look to provide more sustainable and active forms of travel, particularly with the potential impacts COVID-19 will have on the way we travel. 

"We urgently want to look at a number of initiatives from safe cycling and walking infrastructure to e-bike provisions and changing facilities for active forms of travel. There is also potential to significantly increase EV charging infrastructure and to modernise public transport provision through hyper-local on-demand bus loops.  

"Our aim is to do the right research to gather evidence on what the district needs so that we are in a much better position to bid for Government funding and deliver a wide range of sustainable transport solutions for the Cotswolds."