Jo Edwards, chair of Colchester Civic Society, gives a wry account of what it's like living opposite Priory Street car park, which she feels Colchester Borough Council regards as being like the Tardis in Doctor Who – whereby its interior capacity is magically greater than the reality of what you see from the outside.

EARLIER this year, I was very pleased to spot the following short piece in the Colchester Daily Gazette: “Car park in Colchester has been handed an award recognising it as one of the best car parks in the country.

"Priory Street car park has been awarded the British Parking Association’s Park Mark Plus status.

“The award assesses a range of criteria including services, operations, design and build. It is only the second car park in the country to receive the recognition.”

It is rather nice to have a view over an award-winning site, even if it is just a car park.

What the article, very surprisingly, failed to mention, however, is the fact that the Priory Street car park has magical powers.

Perhaps the journalist who wrote the article was unaware of these powers as they have not yet been demonstrated.

I know this because I had to hover in my car for nearly an hour recently, waiting for a space.

So what is this magic? Let me tell you. It is all to do with the ability to create infinite capacity while remaining exactly the same size. Quite remarkable!

Colchester Borough Council is certainly aware and has plans to exploit this extraordinary phenomenon.

Pre Covid-19, the car park was already heavily used by shoppers, parents of children at St Thomas More’s School, worshippers at St Botolph’s, St James the Great and St James the Less churches, the Synagogue, the Spiritualist Church and the Mosque, plus those using their facilities for meetings and concerts etc.

It was also the car park recommended to those visiting the Curzon Cinema, Firstsite, the castle, the museums and, of course, residents.

Once we went into the first lockdown and, coincidentally, the mosque closed so that it could be rebuilt, the car park suddenly became the quiet place it was when I first moved to the street 40 years ago.

However, the peace was not to last and, as I write, the spaces are full and drivers are going up and down the car park, endlessly searching for a space even though the mosque is still a building site and there are no huge weddings or funerals, concerts or meetings at the places of worship.

Once life returns to some form of normality, finding an empty space will again become a serious challenge - or will it?

I am not entirely sure who actually holds the magic spell, those crucial words that will turn an already award-winning car park into something really special.

It could be North Essex Parking Partnership, Colchester Borough Council or the council-owned company Amphora.

I suspect it is Amphora but I may be wrong. How do I know that there is such a spell? Well, very carelessly, the information has been leaked.

Despite the fact that both the heavily-used Britannia and Vineyard car parks are due to close prior to development of the sites, which will put immense pressure on nearby alternatives, Priory Street is now being touted as the preferred car park for the development of student flats on the site of the former bus station - parking for disabled students, visitors, staff, hotel guests at the new hotel on the site etc.

We understand that it will provide the parking for the new creative business starter units in the erstwhile bus garage, too.

It is quite possible that business owners and residents with properties close to the High Street/Queen Street corner (including Open Road staff, visitors and clients) will also be told to park in Priory Street as the rights of way to their private parking spaces and garages will be blocked by the student development, certainly during the construction period but maybe permanently.

On the surface, to those not aware of the magical powers, this would seem like a gallon or three into a pint pot. But shhhh ... we know better, don’t we?

  • To find out more about Colchester Civic Society, and how to join, visit their website www.colchestercivicsociety.co.uk or telephone 07771 626561.