Park free for opening weeks of Alfred Street car parking building

Free parking for up to four hours will be allowed in the new Alfred Street car parking building until the new barrier arm and ticket machine is installed, probably late in July.

The contractors are expected to hand the completed parking building over to the Council on 20 June and it will be opened as soon as possible after that date.

The free parking period will give people a chance to get familiar with the parking building and, we hope, encourage them to realise what a convenient, central location it is to leave their vehicles, said Council’s Assets and Services chairman Graeme Taylor.

“A few weeks should be plenty of time for everyone to get used to it, even those who initially might be reluctant to venture beyond the ground floor,” said Councillor Taylor.

“We hope people who want to use the full four-hour opportunity will go to the second or third floors and leave the ground level free for quick turnaround parking.

The barrier arm and ticketing mechanism, imported from Germany, will be installed as soon as it arrives. This pay-as-you-leave option is being introduced at the request of Blenheim retailers who say it removes the threat of parking tickets from shoppers.

Once the barrier arms are installed ordinary parking will be 80cents an hour, in line with pay-and-display parking in other parts of town, from 8am until 5.30 pm.

After hours parking will be free in the parking building, from 5.30 pm until midnight. No entry will be possible for vehicles after midnight although vehicles will be able to exit at any time.

Bright security lighting and security cameras are being installed within the building and at access points in the interests of good safety standards.

Decisions have yet to be made on the daily early-bird rate and any leasing of parking spaces.

A submission to the draft annual plan suggests more ground level parking should be opened up, directly behind the council buildings, particularly for larger vehicles, by using the top, uncovered, floor of the parking building for council vehicles. That floor will be protected by the regular security patrol, security cameras and night-time swipe-card access only. ” Council needs to consider this” said Councillor Taylor.