Regency Square car park is a mess. It is also largely empty most of the time. On the few days when it does fill up, tailbacks from the entrance block the west side of Regency Square causing problems for residents.
The Council is now planning to spend £2.4 million on improvements.
Access will be made easier from the A259 (Kings Road) with vehicles entering from the east and leaving from the west. A new pedestrian crossing will also be provided to make it safer to get to the seafront and the potential i360 development.
Detailed plans are not yet available but the changes are expected to reduce traffic entering Preston Street, allowing for future possible improvements. Traffic flows on the west side of Regency Square may increase.
New security arranegemnts will mean that only customers will be able to enter the car park itself. Once inside, they will find new lighting, pedestrian walkways and designated disabled parking bays. Dead spaces will be closed off to discourage anti-social behavious.
Regency Square Area Society chairman, Roger Hinton commented “We welcome this investment, but we are keen to see the details of how traffic in the area will be affected, particularly if the improvements are going to increase usage of the car park. We hope the Council will carry out a full consultation before the plans are finalised.”