Lincoln Central Car Park branded ‘consistently unreliable’

Lincoln Central Car Park has been branded ‘consistently unreliable’ after the lifts broke down 16 times in six months.

It is the latest in a long list of defects since the multi-storey car park opened on Melville Street in 2017.

City of Lincoln Council was forced to pay a £150,000 bill for repairing the lifts last year, which it says was due to them being used more than expected.

The four lifts broke down a total of 16 times between May and October, according to a Freedom of Information request.

The lift leading onto the shopping precinct on Sincil Street has made up for more than half of these due to the high volume of use.

The council says it also identified superficial cracks in the floor covering and the need for repainting over that six month period.

Conservative leader Coun Tom Dyer said frequent problems with the multi-storey need to be addressed.

“This car park is vital for businesses in Lincoln’s city centre, and we must do everything possible to support our local economy,” he said.

“A facility that is consistently unreliable must be addressed.

“It is unacceptable that this new multimillion-pound car park is plagued by so many issues.

“The lifts frequently break down, payment machines work only intermittently, and during peak times, the car park becomes so congested that it can take over 30 minutes to exit.

“I have raised these concerns with the City Council for years, yet they continue to ignore them. The City Council’s response is not good enough.”

The City of Lincoln Council has been contacted for comment.

The car park, which has more than 1,000 spaces, was built as part of the £30 million Lincoln Transport Hub scheme.

The authority previously agreed to spend £150,000 on repairs to the lift in November 2023.

Officers said the car park was being used more than expected, which was putting strain on equipment.

Users have also found problems with the payment machines.