Ashford’s Edinburgh Road car park, with 210 spaces, closes Sunday for demolition, raising concerns among local traders about lost business and customer access
Closure of Edinburgh Road Car Park in Ashford
Anxious traders are concerned about the closure of a major town centre car park as its demolition approaches. A total of 210 spaces will be eliminated tomorrow (Sunday) when the multi-storey Edinburgh Road site in Ashford shuts permanently.
The Edinburgh Road multi-storey car park in Ashford town centre will close this weekend. The facility will be demolished along with the nearby Park Mall shopping centre, which closed permanently yesterday (Friday).
A temporary 200-space car park is planned to open later this year on the former Park Mall car park site. However, owner Ashford Borough Council (ABC) intends to eventually build housing on the land.
The authority has not confirmed when the new surface-level car park will open. They state that drivers “can make use of our alternative car parks nearby.”
Town centre traders worry that the closure will make parking more difficult for them and deter customers, especially those with disabilities. Dean Penney, who runs the Ability Plus mobility aids shop in the high street, says the changes will “not be helpful for us or for any business.”
“Our customers do need walking aids, and the closer they can park to the shop, the better,” he said. “If people cannot walk far and have to park further away, we could lose business. So I do think closures of any car park, especially around the town centre, are going to have an effect, full stop.”
Mr. Penney fears customers will avoid the town centre during the gap between the Edinburgh Road closing and the opening of the new 200-space car park. “In the gap in time, I think people might go elsewhere, like to different towns,” he said. “Who knows how long it’s going to take to open the new one?”
Ability Plus customer Martyn Beal, 67, of South Ashford, has a spinal injury and needs a walking stick. He uses the Edinburgh Road spaces to get to his job at the town centre’s Ladbrokes betting shop.
“I have no feeling in my feet, so the distance I walk makes a big difference to where I can get to,” he said. “I need the Edinburgh Road car park to get in and out of work. If I can’t use it, I have to use the one by the library, which is a long walk.”
Mohammad Afzal runs the Mobile Cottage phone repair shop in King’s Parade and shares similar concerns. “Directly or indirectly, it will mean a loss of customers,” he said. “It will eventually affect all the businesses in the high street.”
“The council said they’re going to build the new car park and we are expecting they do it ASAP. We’re hoping they will do a good job and don’t leave it too long,” he added.
Diego Herrada, who runs the Craving House restaurant in the high street, says he will wait to see the effects of the closure. “I walk here from home every day,” he said. “I know some people park, but I don’t know exactly where.”
ABC, run by an Ashford Independents/Green Party coalition, owns both condemned sites and has long aimed to build homes on the land. They have not yet appointed a “development partner,” but demolition is expected to start later this year, with hoardings surrounding the area.
The council states that the 1987-built Park Mall must be demolished due to a declining retail sector, the loss of anchor tenants like Wilko, and rising maintenance costs. They claim the site is not financially sustainable, with annual losses of £700,000.
The shopping centre’s car park previously offered 300 spaces but has been closed since 2023 due to vandalism. In response to traders’ concerns, ABC says permit holders and season ticket holders were informed about the closure of Edinburgh Road and advised of alternative parking options.
“There is plenty of choice for spaces available in our town centre,” a spokesman said. They noted that other users of the car parks can use nearby spaces, including Vicarage Lane car park.
“Those who have been using the car park occasionally can make use of our alternative car parks nearby,” the spokesman added. “With regards to accessibility, any resident holding a Blue Badge can take advantage of the designated disabled bays within the town centre.”
Summary of Key Facts
| Event | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Closure of Edinburgh Road Car Park | Tomorrow (Sunday) | 210 spaces will be eliminated. |
| Closure of Park Mall Shopping Centre | Yesterday (Friday) | Closed permanently. |
| Opening of Temporary Car Park | Later this year | 200 spaces planned. |
| Annual Losses of Park Mall | N/A | £700,000. |
| Previous Car Park Spaces | N/A | 300 spaces, closed since 2023. |
