Upgrades announced for town car parks

Borough councillor Beverley Gray said the lifts at Beehive Lane multi-storey car park were "outdated"

Two car parks in Loughborough are set to be upgraded as part of a £450,000 project.

Charnwood Borough Council said both lifts in the Beehive Lane multi-storey car park would be replaced, and electric vehicle charging points would be installed at the Southfields Extension car park in Southfield Road.

The council said it would pay for the lift replacements at the Beehive Lane car park, while the electric vehicle hub would be funded jointly through the business rate pool and by the government.

Work at both authority-owned car parks are expected to start later this year.

The council said the charging hub at Southfields Extension car park would provide electric vehicle charging points for around 10 vehicles at a time, with power provided by a solar canopy which is also set to be installed at the site.

The installation of the the solar canopy and electric chargers at Southfields Extension car park would cost about £200,000.

According to the council, the project to fund the lift replacements would cost about £250,000, while the installation of the solar canopy and electric chargers would cost about £200,000.

Borough councillor Beverley Gray said the lifts at Beehive Lane multi-storey car park were outdated and investment was key to ensure they remained accessible.

Gray added: "It is important that we continue to invest in our car parks across the borough and these improvements will make a huge difference to visitors to Loughborough town centre."