Council announces opening date for city’s newest car park

Nottingham City Council’s new Broad Marsh car park – believed to be one of the greenest in the country – is set to open to motorists on November 1.

Construction on the site got underway in July 2019 following the demolition of the old car park from September 2017, and continued despite the impact of the Covid pandemic.

The car park features 81 electric vehicle charging points – the most in one location anywhere in the UK – and has 720 solar panels on its roof, expected to generate 190,000 KWh of electricity a year, enough to power the whole building. It is expected that this system will save over 53 tonnes of carbon in the first year of operation – the equivalent of driving a standard car almost 500,000 miles.

There are 1,200 car parking bays including dedicated accessible spaces, parent and child spaces, and 90 motorcycle parking bays, with Vehicle Management System to help drivers navigate to a space quickly and efficiently to reduce carbon emissions.

The car park is the first stage of the new development which also includes space for the new bus station, expected to open early in 2022, a new Central Library and retail units fronting onto Carrington Street.

City Council leader, Cllr David Mellen, said: “It’s really exciting to finally be ready to open the new Broad Marsh Car Park to drivers. It is a key part of the rejuvenation of the city’s Southside which is underway and already making a dramatic difference to the look and feel of this part of the city centre.

“I’m really pleased with all the green attributes this new facility can boast – a huge array of solar panels which will power the whole building and the most charging points in one location for electric vehicle drivers.

“I also think it looks fantastic and complements the new college nearby while being sympathetic to the heritage buildings on Carrington Street which have undergone some wonderful improvements of their own. I’m sure that as people return to the city in greater numbers they will be impressed with the new car park and the other improvements in the area.”