Car Parking Changes For Livingston Town Centre

Date: 1 Aug 2007

Car parking charges are set to be introduced in Livingston town centre by Land Securities, which is currently investing £130million in Livingston to create The Elements, the new 375,000 sq ft shopping centre to adjoin Almondvale.

The town centre will soon benefit from new state-of-the-art parking facilities which will be well-lit and will feature 24-hour CCTV and new variable messaging system (VMS) technology allowing shoppers to identify parking availability.  These high-tech car parking facilities will ease congestion and enhance the shopping experience, and the decision was taken to introduce modest parking charges in order to contribute to the cost of new parking facilities.  The new car park now being built is scheduled to open at the end of November this year and will provide 1,490 car parking spaces.

 

Charging will not come into effect until 2009, after the completion of The Elements, scheduled for October 2008.  Car parking charges will be competitive compared to other town centres in the region and Land Securities is exploring options such as offering free short-term parking (ie up to one hour) – discussions are ongoing and details of charges and any concessions will be confirmed in the coming months.

 

Neil Carron, Development Manager, Land Securities, said: “We have invested £350 million in Livingston over the past 30 years and over this period of time construction and land costs have inevitably risen.  Following careful consideration we have concluded that the high cost of land no longer makes it economical to provide free car parking.

 

“The charges have not yet been set, however they will be substantially lower than city centre charging and we aim to ensure that local people dropping by the town centre for a quick shop are not adversely affected compared to other users. The introduction of charges will also ensure that the car parks are not abused by non-shoppers, thus freeing up the spaces for their intended use.

 

“A portion of the income generated will be used to set up a community fund, and a contribution will also be made to West Lothian Council in respect of costs arising from the introduction of charging.”

 

The charges will only be introduced in the car parks owned and operated by Land Securities.

 

ENDS