Sleaford businesses fear impact from car park closure

North Kesteven District Council described the site of the 40-space car park in Sleaford as "a strategic regeneration opportunity".

Businesses in a Lincolnshire market town fear the closure of a car park and an adjoining footbridge will hit trade.

The Southgate car park in Sleaford has been used as a temporary site since 2009 and is set to close in a bid to pedestrianise part of the town centre.

Traders said they were still struggling from the pandemic and feared the closure would make things worse.

North Kesteven District Council said the site of the 40-space car park was "a strategic regeneration opportunity".

Kay Bonnell, from Emily's Bakehouse cafe, described the move as "a sad loss for the area".

"It will certainly affect our business," she said.

"A lot of our customers use the bridge as a thoroughfare and it also makes the area more accessible for disabled people and families."

Melissa Massingham, owner of the Hutch Shop pet supplies store, said: "We have a very firm customer base but we don't know what would happen if the car park closes.

"A lot of our customers buy heavy bags of pet food - it's one thing to take it across the bridge, another to go around to the next closest car park in Sainsbury's."

The car park's owners, NJA Property Management Ltd and RAW Property Management Ltd, called the closure "premature", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

They said: "With the massive effects of the pandemic on local businesses, we cannot see the sense in shutting a car park directly in the centre of Sleaford that approximately 1,500 vehicles currently use every week."

Council leader Richard Wright said: "A creative, vibrant development on this site has the opportunity to make a real and valuable contribution to this regeneration, delivering homes and businesses that are needed by the people of Sleaford and supporting an improved street scene."