Traders relieved as work on car park revamp is delayed

It is believed that work to develop the Walkergate site, currently a 350-space car park, will not start until January.

The site is to be developed by Amec and will feature a 500-space multi-storey car park, bars, hotel and flats.

This week, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) ordered a public inquiry into the city council's controversial plans to use The Sands as a temporary replacement car park while work is under way.

The Walkergate development had been expected to start next month but because of the inquiry, the council cannot press ahead with its plans for parking.

Colin Wilkes, of the Durham Markets Company and a member of Durham City Forum board, said the loss of parking places in the run-up to Christmas would have been catastrophic.

He said the city was already losing business because shoppers thought that parking was a problem in the centre.

"Generally traders are concerned that were we to lose Walkergate and not have a suitable alternative we would lose a lot of trade because people will only try to come here once.

"We are delighted that work on Walkergate is now starting in January and we will have the Christmas run-up intact with the car park there.''

Traders have written to Defra in support of The Sands plan, which a residents' action group, the City of Durham Trust and The Open Space Society are opposing.

Amec surveyor Dan Needham said there was "no connection whatsoever'' between the delay in starting work and the parking wrangle.

He said the company was still in negotiations with potential occupiers of the development and it was taking longer than they envisaged. No firm date had been set for work to start.

City council leader Sue Pitts said: "The Walkergate development is really important to the city and the development is expected to begin in January when I hope we will have alternative car parking, otherwise the city is going to be a mess.''