Westfield and Hermes created an additional 2,000 spaces at their Westfield Derby shopping centre in the East Midlands' city, taking the number of spaces previously available at the old Eagle Centre up to 3,700. This was certainly much needed on the day of launch when Westfield Derby recorded a footfall of 150,000.

Assistant manager Matthew Slade says: "We have worked really closely with the council to incorporate the new VMS (vehicle management system), which is the digital data that tells you how many spaces are available around the city. There's new signage around the inner ring road.

"On the launch day, despite the local press saying there was travel chaos, everything went smoothly. Communications through VMS meant people could see where the spaces were. We had 15-minute updates with the media on the travel situation."

On top of the roof of the new centre, above the department stores, are 2,049 new car parking spaces. "It's got all the facilities you expect, such as disabled and parent parking, and the bays are wider than normal so you don't have a sense of being crammed in," says Slade. "There's also a customer collect for Debenhams and M&S.

"The basement car park has been refurbished. We had another car park with 959 spaces which is the Riverside car park, built in 1998, and that will be refurbished in due course."

The project included the installation of 16,000 sq m of the fast track floor system, Deckshield Rapide, on the top deck and access ramps to the new car park. Flowcrete approved contractor, 4m Flooring UK, carried out the application.

Deckshield Rapide is specially designed to cope with the hostile environment of exposed floor areas on top decks, resisting UV damage and maintaining its original colour despite extremes of weather.

In other areas at Westfield Derby, Deckshield Intermediate was installed across two levels within the structure, as well as in the basement of an existing car park, giving a new lease of life as part of extensive refurbishment works.

Alan Dean, sales director of Flowcrete, says: "Working with other features including effective lighting, Deckshield transforms car parks into people-friendly environments - providing a colourful finish that can introduce design features into the floor.

"These can include signage and direction within a car park zone, including line markings, as well as pedestrian areas, disabled access and parking zones, and parent with child spaces.

"The anti-slip surface ensures safety underfoot and also reduces tyre squeal, cutting down on noise in the building."

Specialist main contractor Concrete Repairs Limited (CRL) recently completed the Guildhall multi-storey car park next to Princesshay shopping centre in Exeter.

Throughout the £1.25 million project CRL sought to minimise possible disruption to residents and motorists, as well as adjacent shops and businesses located immediately below the car park.

"The initiative has proved that, when methodically planned, such refurbishment projects can be accomplished with very little disruption to the tenants and car park users," says CRL marketing director John Drewitt.

To overcome the problem of noise from plant and machinery, work was programmed for just two days per week. Local businesses were issued with a weekly or fortnightly newsletter in order to keep them updated regarding progress and to advise where and when specific locations would be worked on during the project. "Local businesses were invited to a prearranged meeting to advise and discuss the schedule of works," says Drewitt. "To assist shoppers, works were phased to provide as many parking spaces as possible and this strategy ensured minimal loss of trade for local businesses."

A primary undertaking was to install a new pay-on-foot system, to replace the old pay & display scheme. The new system was principally intended to give car park users better value for money, in terms of parking payments.

Work included partial removal of the existing asphalt surfacing on the lower levels and this was followed by the installation of a long-life waterproofing membrane. Subsequently, the two 2,300 sq m lower deck surfaces received new colour-demarcated parking spaces, pedestrian walkways, direction arrows and line markings.

The two upper levels, consisting of Bison beam slabs, were also treated with a fresh waterproofing membrane prior to being demarcated. In addition, 6,000 sq m of soffit, stairwells and other concrete surfaces were repaired before being protected with anti-carbonation coatings.

The old lighting system was also removed and replaced throughout and a brand new CCTV system installed to provide enhanced security. To assist supervision of the car park and to facilitate the new pay-on-foot scheme, a new MSCP management office was also constructed.

Uniquely, it is believed, the project also included the installation of carbon monoxide measuring equipment, linked to ventilation fans. As soon as the equipment detects a high level of C0 in the atmosphere, it immediately relays the information to automatically switch the fans to 'action' mode in order to clear the offending air from the various levels.

Bouverie Place shopping centre in Folkestone opened its doors on November 26 and its new NCP car park, predominantly above the scheme, opened on the same day.

Providing approximately 580 spaces, including disabled spaces (6 per cent), mother and baby spaces and trolley bays to serve the new Asda store, the car park also has 15 payment machines - more than any other car park run by NCP.

The car park was designed by architects GMW. Director John Jackson describes the scheme as a 'three layered sandwich' with the retail units on ground level, Asda supermarket above and two and a half levels of car park decking on the top of the scheme. "It was important to have good circulation," says Jackson. "We wanted people to park their cars and find it easy to get to the shops, so we have covered travelators mounted externally on the scheme taking shoppers down from the car park. Then there are escalators to street level, as well as lifts and staircases."

In addition the car ramps are generous in size while externally the car park is covered in white or light grey mesh to let in light and allow for ventilation while also screening the car park from the outside.

Ben Heath of NCP explains: "The entrance ramp delivers to the half level at the front of the Asda store where most of the disabled bays are found. Then the next two levels have their own lift lobbies down into the shopping centre."

Shopmobility is also available to shoppers.

Meanwhile, looking ahead to next year's openings, UBS has invested in the rebuilding of the car park at the Kingsway shopping centre in Newport as part of a refurbishment and extension of the mall.

Chester Properties, which is developing the scheme on behalf of UBS, has been working with Colman Architects on the scheme.

As well as creating new retail space in the mall, including a new anchor store and new public square, Colman Architects has designed a brand new car park.

"The existing car park had been closed for years because it was unsafe," said main director and architect on the scheme Simon Hastings. "We're providing an absolutely modern facility that will also serve the city because the existing provision in Newport is poor quality and under provided for. This will provide a really big car park for the town and because of its size and appearance it will be quite a landmark in Newport."

The car park, which is currently being built and is expected to be completed by Christmas 2008, will provide 1,050 car parking bays. It has also incorporated stainless steel mesh elevations and has been designed in order to achieve a bright, safe and open layout. The whole car park is very transparent, allowing light out at night-time and in during the day. In addition there is an external lighting scheme in place.

"The materials and transparency, and going the extra mile to achieve column-free aisles, are part of the efforts to raise the quality of car parks generally," says Hastings.

The refurbishment of the shopping centre itself is due to be completed in time for Christmas.

St Stephen's recognised as safe and secure

St Stephen's, Hull's latest retail and leisure development, has received a Park Mark award for its safe and secure car park from the British Parking Association (BPA).

St Stephen's car park, which opened this autumn when the new centre launched, is managed by Q-Park. Paula Neilson-Lawlor, car park manager, says: "This is great news for St Stephen's and our car park users. We're open 24 hours a day for shoppers and customers of St Stephen's leisure facilities and the Park Mark award gives them peace of mind when using our facility."

Presenting the award was Phil Taylor of the BPA. He adds: "We're delighted to present St Stephen's car park with this important award. We work very closely with operators and the police to ensure car parks maintain high standards of security."

Chief Superintendent Keith Hunter of Humberside Police, which operates the award in the region, says: "We assess each car park across criteria including lighting, surveillance, cleanliness and management - all of which contribute to reducing the opportunity for crime. The award is great news for St Stephen's."

The car park has 1,450 spaces and is accessed from Ferensway via Portland Place and Canning Street.

Contacts

Flowcrete: http://www.flowcrete.com

Concrete Repairs Ltd: 020 8288 4848

Colman Architects: 020 7535 2040

NCP: 0845 050 7080

GMW: 020 7937 8020

Q-Park: http://www.q-park.co.uk

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