Expansion of tram's park and ride sites scrapped

The car park at Phoenix Park near Bulwell was one of two that were due to be expanded

Plans to expand two park and ride sites serving Nottingham's tram network have been scrapped.

The car parks at the Hucknall and Phoenix Park tram terminals were due to be extended by a combined 800 spaces.

An increase in home working since the Covid pandemic means there is now less demand, according to a report by Nottingham City Council.

The funding is set to be reallocated to other transport projects, in which costs have increased.

The council, together with Derby City Council, had secured £161m from the government's "Transforming Cities Fund" in 2019.

The Labour-run authority initially proposed spending its share of the money on 35 different projects across the city, but a new report says only 33 will go ahead.

Plans to improve cycle connections between Nottingham and Derby have also been dropped.

The council said the changes had been agreed with the Department for Transport.

The report, set to be discussed at a meeting on Monday, says the pandemic "significantly impacted on the use of public transport, with changes to working patterns and a greater uptake of hybrid working resulting in people commuting less frequently".

It adds there have been "significant effects on materials supply, energy and construction costs, and delivery timescales" for the entire programme as a result of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

Twenty-one of the 33 schemes have already been completed with the majority of the remaining works now in their final year.

Work on the final project, a new pedestrian and cycle bridge over the River Trent, is due to begin in early 2025.

Nottingham Express Transit (NET) has been approached for comment.