Holt car park start date unclear
A five-year saga seeking to build a long-awaited new car park at Holt has cleared its final planning hurdle, and been rubber-stamped.But it remains unclear when work will start on a project aimed at removing parking problems from the popular shopping town, which are at their worst in high summer and Christmas.
A five-year saga seeking to build a long-awaited new car park at Holt has cleared its final planning hurdle, and been rubber-stamped.
But it remains unclear when work will start on a project aimed at removing parking problems from the popular shopping town, which are at their worst in high summer and Christmas.
The 385-space site off Thornage Road promoted by local businessman Graham Chapman was backed by North Norfolk District Council in December when councillors overruled officers' objections about its impact on the countryside, in favour of easing the parking problems.
But the decision had to go to the regional government office to make sure it was happy for the decision to be taken locally, following claims by objectors that it was of wider importance.
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Senior planning officer Gary Linder confirmed the Go-East regional government office felt it was only a local issue, so the council decision had been confirmed, subject to more than 20 conditions covering issues including drainage and access.
Mr Chapman said he was pleased, adding: 'We have been working very hard behind the scenes, but there is still a lot to do.'
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Back in December local councillor Philip High said Mr Chapman hoped to start work in January and have the car park up and running by the summer.
But this week Mr Chapman could not pin down a date, saying: 'We are working as quickly as possible to get this moving, but we cannot say a timetable.'
Many of the concerns centred on the car park eating into the picturesque countryside overlooking the Glaven Valley.
But Mr Chapman stressed: 'I am a country man at heart, and we will be doing a lot of landscaping and our utmost to make things as nice as possible.
'But it is a matter of balance. I had a butchers business in Holt High Street for more than 20 years and know about the congestion and parking problems in the streets.
'This has been a long drawn out thing. But the last planning hurdle is over and Holt's car parking problems can now be addressed.'
