Bracknell town centre multi-storey car park closed down

The car park had already had its middle parking bays closed to the public to spread the weight load

A 50-year-old car park has been shut down after experts found its concrete structure was crumbling.

The 1970s High Street facility in Bracknell Town Centre, Berkshire, closed on Tuesday evening.

Surveyors had warned the multi-storey was corroding because it was not built for modern, heavy cars.

Businesses under the car park could remain in place safely until 2025, subject to regular inspections, structural engineers advised.

Kevin Gibbs, executive director for delivery at Bracknell Forest Council, said visitors could still use other sites in the town centre.

He added that people who currently use the Shopmobility service via High Street car park should use Princess Square instead.

Bracknell Forest Council did not respond to an earlier request by the Local Democracy Reporting Service for comment on whether the concrete found in the multi-storey was the same RAAC that had forced some schools in England to close in September.

The local authority said the site would be added to the overall town centre masterplan for regeneration in the future.

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