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Alpha Parking to advise on Smithfield Car Park
The City of London has appointed Alpha Parking to advise on improvements to the car park at Smithfield Market. Alpha will conduct a feasibility study to identify potential service enhancements for existing users and measures to increase patronage.
The market is more than 800 years old and the present structures were completed between 1868 and 1888. Around 120,000 tons of meat and other produce are sold there each year, with all trading taking place between 4.00 a.m. and noon.
The current 580 space car park is on two levels, basement and basement mezzanine and is open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The market itself has recently undergone a £70 million refurbishment, but the car park is subject to a number of constraints given the age and design of the structure. These include low ceiling heights, surface mounted services and other obstructions associated with the building’s fire strategy and numerous structural columns.
Alpha will propose improvements to wayfinding and signage, lighting and safety, including pedestrian access to and from surrounding streets, CCTV and barrier segregation to minimise traffic conflict and enhance personal safety within the car park. The consultant will also consider improvements to the access road, heavily used by vans and other high sided vehicles at present.
Recommendations will also include a proposal to refresh all deck markings/directional signage, remark parking bays and include spaces for motorcycles, bicycles, dedicated disabled bays, and charging points for electric vehicles.
“Although the age of the building places restrictions on what can be achieved, we have ambitious plans to bring Smithfield up to the high standard of our other car parks, making it a safer more inviting space which will improve customer experience and attract new users,” says Karyn Ramsay, Operations Manager at Smithfield Market. “In common with other City of London car parks, we will introduce charging points for electric vehicles and the provision of off road parking for motorbikes and bicycles.” |
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