Shops forced to shut after car park deck collapse

The car park has been out of use since February 2024

Shops beneath a multi-storey car park in Mansfield have been forced to close after part of the building collapsed.

Fire and rescue crews were called to Walkden Street car park on Saturday due to "structural damage" and the area around it was subsequently cordoned off.

The car park was already out of use, having been closed in February last year due to safety concerns.

Mansfield District Council confirmed part of the car park had collapsed, and said discount store B&M, a British Heart Foundation shop, and the Bolek I Lolek (Food Plus) store would be closed for at least two weeks.

The authority added further inspections would be taking place in the "coming days".

A council spokesperson said the authority was made aware of the incident at about 08:15 BST on Saturday 30 August.

The spokesperson added: "Nottinghamshire Police and Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue mobilised quickly to the site and deployed immediate closures around Stockwell Gate and nearby walkways to protect the public.

"A police drone survey identified a collapsed section of the car park's top deck.

"Fire and Rescue confirmed that no persons were inside the car park. The area has since been secured with temporary wrapped Heras fencing."

Further inspections

The council confirmed it took the decision to close Walkden Street Car Park in February 2024 after a condition survey highlighted several structural maintenance issues.

It said it was working closely with structural engineers to secure the site and explore future options for stabilising the structure.

The spokesperson added: "At this stage, the full extent, timescale and cost of any repairs or remediation is not yet known.

Further inspections of the car park will continue in the coming days.

"The shops located immediately underneath the car park, B&M, British Heart Foundation and Bolek I Lolek (Food Plus), remain closed and are expected to stay closed for at least two weeks.

"We are in active contact with the store owners and managers and will provide updates to them as the situation develops."

The spokesperson added: "We are aware of similar public concerns regarding the Four Seasons Shopping Centre Car Park.

"An on-site engineer inspected the site on Saturday and confirmed it remains safe to use.

"Remediation works on that car park are also scheduled to begin shortly."