Impact of Maidenhead's closed Nicholsons car park not yet known

Cllr Phil Haseler (Con: Cox Green), lead member for parking, said it is “too early to assess” the impact of the sudden closure of the Broadway, also known as Nicholsons, car park will have on the council’s budget.

The multi-storey car park in Broadway was closed on New Year’s Eve at short notice due to “health and safety” after an overhead concrete fell off. The top two floors were already boarded off due to anti-social behaviour concerns.

Cllr Haseler also said the Nicholsons car park, which has 734 spaces, will remain fully closed while contractors undertake further assessment works and options for remedial work are considered.

READ MORE: Maidenhead car park will remain closed for "foreseeable future"

This comes after Cllr Gurch Singh (Lib Dem: St Mary’s) claimed to the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the closure of “one of the borough’s biggest revenue generating assets” could cost the council about £1m in lost revenue.

He said: “I asked [the council] to bring back the advantage card [parking discount] and they said to me that if we were to bring that back, that would break the budget.

“But what they’ve done is shut the whole car park down. So, if bringing back the advantage card was going to bust the borough; by shutting the whole car park down, what’s that going to do?”

He also said businesses are “furious” with the sudden closure and believes if the Broadway car park remains closed in the next six months, companies will leave Maidenhead.

Surveyors at the Nicholsons multi-storey car park (Image: Russell Harper)

Cllr Singh also claimed surveyors are not wearing hard hats in the car park and residents have been crossing it as the entrance and exit were only closed off by red tape.

Cllr Haseler responded: “The car park has been fenced off to prevent access to the site with warning signs in place. There is no pedestrian access to the Nicholsons Centre via the Nicholsons car park and users are kindly asked to use alternative entrances to the centre.”

The lead member, who apologised again for the inconvenience the closure may have, also said: “We’re fortunate enough to have other parking facilities available in the town which we’re expecting residents and visitors to use.”

READ MORE: Maidenhead's Shopmobility service moves amid car park closure

But Cllr Singh disagrees and believes the Hines Meadow car park and the newly opened Vicus Way car park are too far away from the town centre, which could put people off from coming to Maidenhead.

He also said the controversial Vicus Way car park is empty and is not being used by residents or commuters. “You have more cars at the Furze Platt car wash than you have in Vicus Way car park,” Cllr Singh said.

Parking alternatives can be found here: https://www.rbwm.gov.uk/home/transport-and-streets/parking/car-parks-and-park-and-ride.