COUNCIL bosses have renamed a city centre car park in the hope it will provide further support for shops and businesses in the area.
The former St Anne Street car park in Chester has now been renamed Brook Street car park, one of several measures Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWaC) has taken to regenerate the area around Brook Street.
The car park’s name change had been discussed during several community meetings at the time of the public realm works which took place earlier this year. It will also be ‘free after three’.
CWaC councillor Stuart Parker, vice-chairman of Chester Renaissance, said: “After having delivered the public realm improvements in Brook Street, we are continuing with measures to improve Brook Street, increase its appearance and support the regeneration of the area between the railway station and the city centre.”
Chairman of the recently re-instated Brook Street Traders and Residents Association, Stuart Stevenson, said: “We welcome the name change to Brook Street car park and hope that this will be good for our shops and businesses.
“Brook Street car park is well located and users can easily and safely cross Hoole Way at the traffic lights and Brook Street will be a successful start of their shopping in Chester.”
Another measure introduced by CWaC is the recently published Walk 4 Life advertisement in the Visit Chester & Cheshire brochure, encouraging people to walk from the railway station via Brook Street shops into the city centre.
The Visit Chester & Cheshire ‘welcome envoys’ at the railway station are also directing visitors to the city centre via Brook Street and the Rhino “Fleur” is well located in Brook Place and attracting many visitors.
Chester Renaissance, in collaboration with the council’s parking service and highways, has delivered the name change which not only includes new signage on the roads leading up to the car park and the car park itself but also in references on the council’s website and awareness at the two tourist information offices.