Work begins on multi storey car park as part of £250m Southwater development

For the construction of the new multi storey car park, the left hand lane of Coach Central has been closed to traffic.

The closure is from the junction with Grange Central to the Shopping Centre Bridge and will commence at some point during this week.

The new car park with space for at least 600 spaces will serve the Southwater development and its leisure facilities including the Ice Rink and new soft play area seven bars and restaurants, 11 screen cinema, new hotel and the new Council customer centre, community building called ‘Southwater One’, due for completion early 2014 and opening shortly after.

This will also combine with Telford & Wrekin Council’s scheme to make the Telford Town Centre Box Road two-way. This summer, the Council secured £6.1 million of funding to support the plan. The council says the changes will make it easier for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists accessing the Town Centre.

The lane closure will continue until the new car park opens at the end of 2013. The first phase of work to turn sections of Coach Central and Grange Central two way are due to start in February.

Council leader Kuldip Sahota said: “The next few weeks will be a very exciting time as the Southwater development really steps up another gear.

“We are about to go reach some very significant milestones on our journey to transform Southwater into the living beating heart that Telford Town Centre so badly needs.

“This project has for so many years been nothing more than drawings on maps that some people believed would never happen.

“Well now it is and very soon we will see buildings going up as ours and our partners vision for Southwater begins to become reality.

“We may have to bear with a little disruption as the work goes ahead but I am sure that everyone will agree that this will be a very small price to pay for the fantastic centre we are creating.”