Colchester car parks to undergo huge £1m refurbishment that could take a year to complete

Colchester: Two car parks in this Essex city are about to get a big makeover. The St Mary’s and St John’s car parks are set for a £1 million refurbishment that could take around a year to finish. Work is expected to kick off in March.

The project aims to wrap up by Spring 2026. The focus will be on keeping the car parks in good shape for another decade. They’ll be widening the parking bays to fit those bigger modern cars we all drive these days.

This change should help make sure every parking spot gets used. Plus, it’ll give drivers peace of mind knowing they won’t struggle to squeeze into tight spaces.

Cllr Martin Goss, who’s in charge of Neighbourhood Services and Waste, mentioned that many parking bays in the city center are too narrow for today’s wider cars. By making these changes, they’re not just improving access but also gearing up for the future.

Colchester City Council plans to upgrade payment systems, add new decorations, improve CCTV, and enhance lighting. All these upgrades aim to create a safer and more welcoming environment for drivers, no matter the time of day.

St John’s car park is one of the key areas getting attention. These improvements are part of a larger plan to modernize Colchester’s infrastructure, especially with the upcoming multi-million-pound regeneration of Britannia Car Park.

Along with widening the bays, they’ll waterproof the surfaces and ensure both car parks remain structurally sound for years to come. This is all about meeting the needs of today’s drivers and those in the future.

Cllr Goss added that these upgrades are part of a bigger commitment to prepare Colchester’s city center for future growth. By enhancing parking facilities now, they’re setting the stage for the city’s regeneration, which will also impact nearby areas like Britannia Car Park.