Axminster car park to reopen

It's hoped the reopening will boost the town's economy.

A car park at the former Webster’s Garage site in Axminster will be reopened and managed by East Devon District Council (EDDC) following a vote by full council.

It will enter into a temporary, one-year extendable contract to manage the cark park on the corner of Lyme Street, in the hope that reopening it will help boost the town’s economy. 

The council predicts it will run the facility for the next 18 months, the length of time left of temporary planning permission for the land to be used as a car park.

Councillor Tom Wright (Conservative, Budleigh and Raleigh) welcomed the plan as “Axminster didn’t seem very much alive” when he was in the town recently. He hopes it will encourage people to come back to the town, adding: “Axminster needs all the help it can get.”

The owners, Hallmark Estates (Devon), asked the council to take over the car park while it waits for planning permission to redevelop the site.

The revenue from parking will be returned to the owner but the council will recover running costs.

The service had been run by private operator National Car Parks (NCP), but the owners recently decided to end the arrangement, leading to the car park’s recent closure.

An EDDC report said it is important for the town that the car park reopens as soon as possible in order to “visually convey the message that Axminster is “open for business” and of course, to offer increased parking availability in the run up to Christmas.”