The closing of one of Penryn’s main car parks and major work at another will leave people with nowhere to park for part of this month, it has been claimed – despite an offer of some spaces at the university campus.
Permarin Car Park will be closed by Cornwall Council for essential maintenance for two weeks starting on May 13 while at the same time Commercial Road car park will be having pipework laid.
Cornwall Councillor Tamsyn Widden reckons this leave 60 vehicle owners having to find somewhere else to park their cars.
She has criticised Cornwall Council for failing to have contingency plans in place to give users of the car park somewhere else to go.
Instead she has been forced to try and arrange alternative parking with a tentative agreement for drivers who use the car park to be allowed to park at Tremough Campus, however this is a long way from Permarin.
“They have utterly made a mess of this because they haven’t co-ordinated with the Commercial Road car park and they have not made any attempt to put in place any contingency plans,” she said.
“I estimate 60 cars will be displaced over that period. The council haven’t made any contingency plans but I have. I have managed to get the people up at the university to offer some parking to people who need it.”
She said she is waiting for confirmation in writing from the facilities manager at the site but they didn’t want 100 residents not effected by the Permarin closure to go and park up at the university.
“The university team very keen for it not to be: ‘Woo hooh! We can just park at the university’,” said Cllr Widden. “The system will be if residents in Permarin vicinity have nowhere else to park, then they should contact Penryn Town Council who will advise them if they can get free parking at the university, not just drive straight up there expecting to be able to park for free.”
Cllr Widden says the reason for the lining at Permarin Car Park is to allow the car park to function better for multiple users so that people do not leave their cars there long term without moving them.
Cars have to be out of Permarin car park by midnight on May 12 and the closure is planned for two weeks, more if there are unforeseen delays.
Cllr Widden has appealed for people who have to park on the street to do so considerately and think about using the £2 buses.
Controversial charges are also set to be introduced at Permarin by Cornwall Council where it was previously free.
Tolls range from 60p for half an hour to £3 for two to three hours. Overnight parking would remain free from 4pm to 9am.
Meanwhile work also continues in Commercial Road by Cornwall Council to install pods for homeless people in a part of the car park.
Any queries regarding the car parks should be directed to Cornwall Council email: parking@cornwall.gov.uk or phone: 0300 1234 222
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