Local company contracted to carry out Queen Street car park works

Artistic impression of Queen Street car park after works

Queen Street car park is set to close temporarily on Tuesday 7 May as local company Mac Plant Ltd starts work to improve it in the next stage of the Barnstaple "Market Quarter" improvements.

The car park is expected to reopen when the works are completed in autumn. Bear Street car park will be open for business as normal and once Queen Street reopens, Bear Street will be closed to enable completion of the works.

Improvements for the project include:

  • a new vehicular access provided off Alexandra Road (completed as part of the Bear Street works)
  • improved layout and surface to provide one large car park with new lighting and landscaping
  • improved pedestrian walkways to Boutport Street, Queens Walk and Bear Street

The car park works are taking place alongside the rebuilding and restoration of 36-7 Boutport Street. North Devon Council purchased these properties in 2021 to refurbish them for community and business use. 36 Boutport Street will become a cultural hub for North Devon, while 37 will be a new build incorporating housing and employment units around a central arcade walk-way from the Queen Street car park to the town centre.

Lead Member for Economic Development and Regeneration at North Devon Council, Councillor Malcolm Prowse says: "After lots of planning, we are now ready to start works to improve the car park alongside the Boutport Street redevelopment. This is an important step in the Market Quarter project and will bring huge improvements to the town centre. Some of the central new features are the incorporation of a new arcade walk-way between the current car park and the town centre, as well as better access to Bear Street via Queens Walk, improving access to the town.

"Projects of this size, duration and nature will inevitably cause some inconvenience to users of the car park, surrounding occupiers and businesses. However, we are carrying out the work in phases to ensure car parking is available at Bear Street during the first phase, which will keep disruption to a minimum. Ultimately, we strongly believe that the creation of a much-improved car park to serve Bear Street, Boutport Street and the town centre, as well as the redevelopment of a historic derelict site in the heart of the town centre, will be well worth the temporary inconvenience."

Further details about the Market Quarter projects is available on the barnstaple.co.uk website and on the North Devon Council website.