LYNN'S revamped £50 million town centre will be hit by a car parking crisis when it finally opens for business, according to a recent report.
The battle for spaces is set to begin between shoppers just months after the flagship redevelopment is completed – despite years of planning and millions of pounds of investment by West Norfolk Council.
Angry traders are now worried visitors will steer clear of the town and council leader John Dobson has blamed the previous set-up for the blunder.
Officials estimate parking capacity will run dry in 2006 – even with the building of Lynn's new multi-storey park.
Traders said the lack of spaces would ruin business and called on the council to take immediate action.
Operations director for Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, Mr Peter Bridgham, said: "It is very important that we have easy access for people coming into Lynn so they can use the shops – it's an absolute priority."
"We may need another multi-storey car park or perhaps a park-and-ride system."
Mr Dobson admitted something had to be done but refused to take responsibility for the poor planning.
He said: "We are thinking about additional car parking spaces very carefully indeed. We currently favour multi-storey car parks because it is the most effective use of space.
"We are a new administration and if there wasn't sufficient forethought then it is because of the last admin- istration – we are now clearing up their mess."
The shopping centre is a crucial part of the council's vision of the future for Lynn and pre-lets have already been signed with a number of national retailers.
Among those moving into the new Vancouver Centre will be Superdrug, TK Maxx, JJB Sports, New Look and Woolworths.
The manager of Sainsburys, Mr Gary Davenport, said: "The new development will be creating a lot of jobs, the employees will all be parking in the car parks so where are the customers going to go? It would kill us because they would not come in."
"The question I have always asked since I have been here is, it's great the redevelopment is being done but where are people going to park?"
The building of Lynn's £5 million multi-storey car park is set to finish in October 2005 to coincide with the end of the town centre work.
During the construction period, beginning after Christmas, around 200 spaces will be lost as the South Clough Lane parking area is turned into a building site. Once completed, the car park will provide 650 short-term spaces but it will not make up for a projected shortfall in capacity.
Mr David Rogers, of David's Cookware Specialists, in Tower Street, Lynn, said: "There is no quick fix, but something has to be done. We have always had a problem, and motorists are our lifeblood."
"Car parking in this town is very important, and it would be a serious worry if there is going to be a complication with it."
Mr Nick Daubney, the council's portfolio holder for regeneration, said there was no suggestion yet as to how many extra spaces will be needed. He indicated that a report on the situation is likely to be called for in the near future.
Chairman of the town centre partnership, Mr Malcolm Powell, said: "I do not think we should forget that their is a positive side to this – we are getting a booming town centre with lots of extra shops that people will want to visit.
"However, we cannot ignore the downside. There is time for the council to reconsider its multi-storey car park plans and make it an even bigger one, or build another multi-storey, perhaps at Austin Fields. It would appear solutions are going to need to be radical and expensive."
The issue was raised at a recent meeting of councillors on the regeneration and environment panel
.
