Parking action stepped up after car park closure
LDRSTraffic officers have been asked to deal with an expected increase in parking problems after the closure of a major car park.
The Waterfront facility on Barrow Island, Cumbria, which provides about 750 spaces for employees at submarine construction site BAE, was closed after negotiations between the firm and the council broke down.
A company spokesman confirmed it was "unable to reach a renewed agreement" with Westmorland and Furness Council for the car park off Dova Way.
The Liberal Democrat-led authority said it understood this "may result in increased instances of on street car parking" and it had deployed officers to "manage and monitor the situation".
It comes after a traffic regulation order to tackle parking issues on Barrow Island was passed by the council last month, in response to complaints from residents and businesses.
The Waterfront car park was built to accommodate staff from BAE, which is a major employer in the area with about 14,000 employees.
'Bit of a shock'
Labour councillor David Cassidy said he hoped there could be a "swift resolution" to the issues with the car park, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
"Understandably, the news came as a bit of a shock," he said.
"We have worked extremely hard with residents and the traffic management team to put a new traffic regulation order in place."
A BAE spokesman said: "We continue to explore options to manage parking demand responsibly across the Barrow site."
Westmorland and Furness Council said a licence agreement for the site had come to an end without an agreement to renew, meaning it was "required to take back possession of the land".
A spokesman said: "We would remind all motorists there are alternative car parks within the Barrow town centre area and a list can be found on the council website."
