No fix for Stratford on Avon car park lift

Buy photos » Windsor Street car park. (s)

USERS of a multi-storey car park in Stratford will not be getting a lift to and from their vehicle.

Council chiefs this week decided the £60,0000 plus cost of repairing the broken lift at the five storey Windsor Street car park - the closest to Shakespeare's Birthplace - was not worth the expense.

Following complaints from residents, Lib Dem Coun Joyce Taylor raised the issue of repairing the lift – which has been out of action for 14 months - at a meeting of Stratford District Council on Monday (December 17).

But Coun Lynda Organ, district Technical Services spokeswoman, said the lift had been shut for safety reasons and because of cost there were no plans to repair or replace it.

She said: “The cost of replacing the lift is estimated to be in excess of £60,000 and as such, it is not considered a prudent investment for a building of this age and condition.”

Coun Organ added the number of disabled and parent child parking spaces had been increased as a result at the 243 capacity car park, and signs had been put up on all floors to indicate there was no lift available.

Coun Taylor expressed concerns many visitors would be unable to use the upper storeys as they would have to climb nine sets of stairs with the lift out of action.

She said: “I hope the Conservatives aren’t going to allow other car parks to fall into this sort of disrepair - what a welcome to Stratford for visitors to the Birthplace.”

Regional news »