Town centre car parks to be sold off for housing

Blackfriars car park in Newcastle-under-Lyme is one of those which could be sold for housing

A council has proposed to sell off a number of "underused" car parks for housing.

Three car parks in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, have been earmarked for development – Blackfriars Road, part of King Street, and Garden Street/Bankside.

Two of the four small car parks on King Street, Kidsgrove, will also be sold off, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council confirmed.

Deputy leader Stephen Sweeney said it was always the intention to reduce some of the parking sites after the multi-storey Castle car park opened earlier this year.

"Many of these car parks are significantly underused and, in some cases, they are next to land that could be better used for development or community benefit," he added.

The council said it also planned to demolish the former Browns Service Garage in Kidsgrove and use it as a temporary car park before the site was eventually sold off too.

Sweeney said the proposals were part of the authority's commitment to putting forward as many brownfield - or previously-developed - sites as possible for new homes.

The plans are subject to approval by the council's planning committee, with the date yet to be confirmed.