Nicholsons Centre: Call to address 'inadequate' parking at planned multi-storey car park

The Maidenhead Civic Society has called for more parking to be introduced at a proposed new multi-storey car park before the revised Nicholsons Quarter scheme is given the go ahead.

Developer Areli is planning a new 20-deck car park as part of its £500million town centre regeneration scheme.

But the number of spaces have been scaled down from the original proposals with 452 planned – almost half the initial 885 spots initially targeted.

Only 100 car parking spaces will be designated for shoppers while 202 spaces will be allocated to residents of the new housing and 150 spaces for neighbouring commercial properties.

Martin McNamee, from the Maidenhead Civic Society, said: “There are 20 levels of car parking and everything above level 6 is not for shoppers. It’s completely inadequate for what we’re hoping for within the town.

“Whatever you say about the rest of the scheme, the parking is completely out of kilter. Until the parking is sorted out and agreed at the right level, there shouldn’t be any go ahead given to the scheme.”

Rob Tincknell, chief executive of Areli, said the council had carried out an analysis of its town centre car parks before the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 which showed they were running at 75 per cent capacity.

He said the borough’s car parks have remained underused post COVID.

“I think the car park we’re going to build is going to have some flexibility around those spaces we’re putting in,” Mr Tincknell added.

“But there are other locations in the town centre where people can park at the moment.

“I do recognise it’s a big change and people don’t necessarily like it but I think it does reflect the social changes in the town that have started to happen.”

The civic society said it welcomed the progress towards resolving the future of the town centre but highlighted the scheme has shifted towards being a project where new housing is the focus.

Mr McNamee added: “Essentially, this is a residential scheme which is driving some office space and retail space.

“A balanced town centre scheme would probably have a bit more retail, a bit more offices and longer term commercially the town centre does need office space to stimulate the town centre economy.”

Areli’s chief executive said he believed the company had struck the right balance between new housing, office space and shops.

He added: “The residential units in this scheme alone will add £11.5million of spend in the local area. I’m sure all the restaurateurs and shopkeepers in the town centre will be quite pleased about that.

“You need people living in town centres to fuel the shops, fuel the environment and make them proper places.”