LEICESTER City Council has started legal proceedings to enable it to secure Lee Circle car park, which closed in March when NCP went into administration.
The council says neither the owners, administrators or NCP have taken action to ensure the site is not accessible to members of the public, which has resulted in anti-social and criminal behaviour there.
The council has today issued a legal notice to the owners of the car park, and will make an application to Leicester Magistrates Court on Thursday 4 June for an order to enable it to secure the car park.
Nicola Odom, head of the city council’s safer communities service said: “We have made numerous attempts to get the owners of this site to make it safe and secure, and prevent it from being a hazard to the public, but they have failed to do so.
“We were not able to seek this order at an earlier stage as the court will require evidence of the likelihood, and where possible evidence of, anti-social behaviour taking place there. We now have this evidence which will be presented on Thursday.
“If the court grants the order, the council will make the site safe and inaccessible, and will re-charge the owners for all costs incurred.”
The city council has been working alongside Leicestershire Police to try to prevent ASB at the site. Inspector Ryan Ludlam, commander for the Central Leicester Neighbourhood Policing Area (NPA), said: “Leicestershire Police fully support the council’s action to secure this site, which has been linked to ongoing anti-social behaviour and criminal activity.
“This is a positive step in protecting the public and preventing further incidents while longer term solutions are put in place. We would continue to encourage our communities to report any such issues to us by calling 101 or visiting our website.”
Lee Circle is one of five car parks which closed when NCP went into administration. Three of these – Abbey Street, St Nicholas Circle and East Street - have been re-opened by Euro car parks. The Rutland Centre car park, which is located near to Curve theatre in the city’s cultural quarter, remains closed, and has been secured by its owners.
Martin Fletcher, the council’s highways director said: “We know there is interest from operators in both of these car parks, and we are hopeful that they will eventually re-open. In the meantime we are working to increase the number of on-street parking bays, and dedicated disabled parking spaces in the cultural quarter.
Details of all parking spaces and disabled parking spaces in Leicester are on the council’s website at leicester.gov.uk/parking