BOROUGH chiefs hope to spend a total of £109,000 on improving public car parks.
The council’s parking services unit has made a number of capital scheme proposals covering the next financial year. They are:
Increasing the present car park repair and maintenance budget from £8,620 to £12,000 in 2008/09, rising by £200 a year over the next two years.
Derek Chaplin, head of financial units, said in a report: “It is not sufficient to carry out repairs and maintain the 28 council-owned car parks.
“Some are in poor repair and need a programme of regular maintenance.”
“We are also introducing two new car parks this year, which will also impact on this budget.”
Removing the granite setts from Marina Drive and Civic Way pay and display car parks and replacing them with a binder course and surfacing, with red chippings, at a cost of £70,500.
There are numerous loose or missing setts, some which can cause tripping. The bitumen jointing is also deteriorating, allowing water in.
Repainting car parking bays and aisle markings which have faded or are non-existent, at a cost of £14,500.
“If bays are unclear, drivers park in a disorganised manner. Unclear markings can cause accidents.”
Spending £11,000 on lighting in the Civic Way and Westminster car parks, following “numerous complaints” from council staff and the public that it is inadequate,” said the report.
And £1,000 on a traffic counter, which can be put on the entrance of any car park to determine how much it is used. This would help the council set the level of maintenance inspections for each site.
