Edinburgh Today

Proposal to build

Underground Car Parks

1.

West End, Chambers Street or Grassmarket?

May 2005

Edinburgh leaders have announced that they are in discussion with  Trevipark, a company that has provided automated underground car parks in Milan, Turin and Rome.  Possible locations for such a car park in Edinburgh include:

-  West End.

-  Chambers Street.

-  Grassmarket.

Edinburgh Council also confirmed that their plans for a possible underground car park in George Street are "still on the table".  Gordon reid, Chief Executive of Edinburgh City Management Company  said that his company wished to see a car park under George Street as well as exploring the Trevipark proposals.

Herald & Post:  5 May 2005,  p.3.

2.

George Street or Chambers Street?

October 2005

There has been occasional comment in the press about plans to build underground car parks in Edinburgh.  The car parks would be computer controlled, with the cars being taken automatically from an entrance/exit bay for parking.

George Street was suggested as a possible location a couple of years ago.  Now [Oct 2005] Chambers Street has become the subject of a feasibility study looking into whether or not it might be possible to build two car parks there by Autumn 2007 -  both would be in front of the Royal Scottish Museum, one on either side of the statue of William Chambers.  Each would hold just over 100 cars.

This proposal is being considered by ECCMC (Edinburgh City Centre Management Company) together with Trevipark, a company that has established similar car parks in Rome, Turin and Milan.

If the Chambers Street car parks proved successful, they might be followed by others in Edinburgh in locations such as the West End, the Grassmarket and George Street.

Evening News: October 26, 2005, p.14.

November 2007

More than a dozen firms are bidding to build a £4.5m car park under Chambers Street.  The car park would hold 100 cars.  They would be lowered automatically to its parking place under the street.  (there are already similar car parks in Rome, Milan and other European cities.

Work on the project is likely to begin in late 2008, and is expected take 18 months.  The 100 new car parking spaces would replace the 89 spaces currently on Chambers Street.

Evening News: November 21, 2007.

3.

Chambers Street or Charlotte Square?

January 2009

The proposed underground car park has still not been built. The Chambers Street proposals have hit a problem over who owns the land, and it could take lawyers up to a year to resolve the issue.

However, Edinburgh Council is now considering proposals to create an underground car park under Charlotte Square at the West End f George Street.

 These proposals have been welcomed by local traders and many in the City Chambers who see the need for more car parking spaces near the West End and believe that such a development might provide a better balance between the West End and East End of the city.

Recent developments at the East End have included the opening of St Andrew Square Gardens to the public and proposals to redevelop the St James Centre complex.

Evening News: January 9, 2009, p.9.