Lincoln park and ride £5m funding bid discussed

A new bid for funding for a park and ride scheme in Lincoln is being prepared, officials have confirmed.

After being discussed for years, proposals for up to three sites were further delayed in 2010 by government spending cuts.

The county council has now confirmed it will bid for up to £5m for a major transport project, including a park and ride, early next year.

Details of a location and full budget will be discussed in the coming weeks.

In 2009, the county council selected a site near the Carholme roundabout on the A46 and said the system could be running within five years.

Bypass hopes

But the Coalition Government's Spending Review meant projects had to be submitted to the Local Sustainable Transport Fund to compete with other applications.

Council officials said lessons taken from previous fund awards meant a new park and ride at a site near Teal Park at North Hykeham was most likely to meet government criteria.

Chris Briggs, the county council's head of transportation, said: "It does seem sensible for us to focus our efforts on schemes that are most likely to become a reality, learning from the previous successful bids.

"It is effectively a competition and we need to put our best bid forward to be in with a chance."

The idea, which also includes improved public transport and better cycle routes and footpaths in the area, will be discussed by the highways, transport and technology and scrutiny committee on Monday before going to the full council.

Another major road project, the Lincoln Eastern Bypass, is bidding for £50m in government funding and a decision is expected in December.