Dorset Council will begin essential resurfacing works at 10 of its car parks which have been identified as most in need of repair, beyond what is provided through routine maintenance.
Parking bays will also be widened from 2.4m to the new recommended standard of 2.6m to help accommodate modern and wider vehicles. The council said that this will be achieved with minimal loss of parking spaces.
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Dorset Council’s cabinet member for place services, Cllr Jon Andrews said: “Several car parks across the county have reached a point where their condition requires more extensive resurfacing to prevent deterioration that could pose a safety risk or require emergency repairs.
“These areas have been badly affected by the recent wet weather which has accelerated the deterioration and means we must act quickly to get the surfaces repaired.
“By carrying out this work proactively, and at a quieter time of year, we can ensure a safe and durable surface for users and fewer future disruptions and unplanned closures.
“Repairing these car parks now will bring better long-term value for money rather than reactive urgent repairs further down the line.”
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In total, six surfaced car parks including two in Weymouth, one in Dorchester, one in Bridport and two in Sherborne will be repaired.
Work will begin in Sherborne with both Old Market Yard car park and Culverhayes car park being resurfaced on Monday, February 23.
Next will be Bridport’s East Street Car Park on the Tuesday. The car park has long been a cause for concern to local residents with large potholes and rubble.
Work at Weymouth’s Park Street car park will then take place on the following day with repairs at Governors Lane car park on Friday, February 27.
In Dorchester work will begin next month at the Durngate Street car park on March 3.
Unsurfaced car parks also receiving repairs are Purbeck Park and West Street in Corfe Castle and Beach Car Park (Preston Road) and Overcombe in Weymouth.
Start dates for these have not yet been confirmed; however, these works are expected to take place before the end of March.
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Cllr Andrews added: “We recognise that other car parks also need work doing to them we will explore how this can be achieved in the future
“In the meantime, we will ensure all our car parks remain safe and repair any safety defects that are found or reported to us.”
The news has been met with mixed reactions from the public with some stating the need for pothole repairs to be prioritised over resurfacing car parks.
One person said: “You can’t damage your car due to bad surfacing in a car park but you certainly can driving through Bridport. I would recommend to do the potholes first not worry about the car parks.
However, not everyone had a negative view with many also praising the need for wider spaces.
Another resident said: “Great work and taking into account newer wider vehicles.”
In response to people demanding roads and potholes be prioritised over car parks, the council said: “For those who have mentioned potholes on the roads, repairing some of our car parks does not mean we are not fixing potholes.
“Our crews are responding to pothole repairs on a daily basis and we are getting to them as quickly as we can, responding to the most urgent repairs first.
“Last year we repaired over 10,500 potholes and last week we agreed an extra £5.2 million to address the highway repairs needed following the unprecedented rainfall and flooding we have recently experienced. You can report a pothole via https://dorset-self.achieveservice.com/…/Report-a-pothole.
Notices will be going up in all car parks advising users of the works and the council will aim to keep disruption to a minimum.