Reopening date set for Leicestershire park amid controversial parking charges
A Leicestershire park at the centre of a controversial charging scheme is due to reopen now renovation works are complete. Blaby District Council said the finishing touches are being made to the refurbished car park at Bouskell Park in Blaby.
The car park closed in October 2024 to undergo a series of general renovations, including alterations to the entrance, amid the backdrop of the proposed car parking charges being introduced. The council said physical work on site has now finished, with a reopening date now set.
The introduction of the parking scheme has overshadowed the renovation scheme work. During the consultation period objectors to the initiative claimed that “no one had any intention of paying parking fees”, while others feared the charges would result in drivers leaving their cars parked on the street for free.
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BDC said the new Bouskell Park charges would apply from 8am to 6pm once it is reopen. It will be operating seasonal opening hours, opening until 8.30pm from April to October, and 6pm across November to March.
The works, funded by the UK Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund, include the following:
Resurfacing the car park Landscape improvements Low-level lighting to improve the look and feel of the park Clearly marked parking bays Two designated accessible spaces (which will be free for up to three hours for users with a Blue Badge and time clock) Widened gates and vehicle access
However, news of the reopening has not gone down well with many amid the incoming charges. One said: "BDC you don't get it do you, charging people to park will only determine people just like it has elsewhere. Blaby and Narborough are now like ghost towns because people can go elsewhere and park for free."
A second said: "Open it, I and many others won’t use it. Great shame as often took the dog there and then went for a coffee or beer, so local traders lose out too, nice work BDC." A third added: "So you totally ignored the views of the community asking for one hour free per day to allow people to enjoy the park and walk their dogs, or park to walk their children safely to school."
Charges for the park, as listed on the BDC website, are as follows:
Up to 1 hour - 70p
Up to 2 hours - £1.00
Up to 3 hours - £1.50
Up to 4 hours - £3.00
Over 4 hours - £6.00
Councillor Nigel Grundy, Blaby District Council portfolio holder for neighbourhood services and assets, said: “Firstly I would like to thank residents and visitors for their patience while we’ve been completing the extensive refurbishment works. The great news is that thanks to government funding we’ve been able to provide a brand new environmentally friendly car park surface, provide marked bays and introduce new lighting and planting to improve the area for visitors.”
Work at Bouskell Park is far from over though, with BDC confirming that further "improvement works" to the pavement will be undertaken to improve a "historical issue" relating to drainage. The council said the park will close during these work "for the safety of visitors".
In a statement, BDC said Bouskell Park is expected to reopen on Monday, January 27. The completed car park is planned to be open Monday to Sunday, from 7am to 6pm during the winter months.
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