Plans to construct a temporary multi storey car park in Cirencester have been scrapped.

A proposal to erect temporary car park ‘decking’ at the Old Station Car Park was cancelled due to an adverse pre-planning report from the councils heritage department.

Conservative councillor on Cotswold District Council Tony Berry who was leading the project was saddened by the decision.

He said: “I am very disappointed at this decision of the new administration.

“When I became leader last October it was apparent that after some years, we hadn’t delivered any additional parking and weren’t likely to for some while, at the same time the town was desperately in need of more parking.

“I was keen to deliver something before the coming Christmas period which will be really important to struggling retailers and shoppers.

“In my opinion this was the best way of doing that but will now not happen.

I just hope this doesn’t do further damage to the town’s retail offering in the short term while we wait for longer term solutions.”

Councillors agreed to progress with the scheme at a meeting back in February.

The temporary structure was proposed to meet a shortfall in parking in Cirencester and to provide alternative decant parking during the proposed construction of multi-storey car park at the Waterloo.

However due to the comments from the pre-planning report from the councils heritage department, councillors scrapped the plans.

The report concluded: “It is the conclusion of officers that, for the reasons explained, the harm identified under the heading Built Heritage Impact would be likely to outweigh any public benefit of the delivery, on a temporary basis, of replacement public parking.”

Lib Dem leader of Cotswold District Council, Cllr Joe Harris said: "I inherited a plan from the previous administration to construct a temporary decked car park on the site of the Old Station car park.

"Having studied the plans it was clear that the business case was just not adequate and as a result the maths not add up.

"It would also have been an eyesore in the centre of the our beautiful town as I'm yet to see an aesthetically pleasing temporary car park.

"The pre-application advice backed this up.

"Our plans to develop a car park at the rugby club, which will provide decant parking for permit holders whilst the Waterloo site is developed into a decked car park, is well underway and has the added bonus of it then remaining as a permit holder car park on a fairly permanent basis.

"We also understand that the Bathurst Estate are planning on developing 'the Kennels' site which will provide additional spaces for local businesses and free up spaces in the town centre in the short to medium term.

"As a result the cabinet member for parking and I recommended to council that the plans were shelved and I'm pleased colleagues agreed at the council meeting."