PLANS to partially demolish and then reopen a previously closed Winchester car park have been met with objections.

The scheme for Friarsgate multi-storey car park could see the ground and upper ground levels being brought back into use, with the two existing staircases to the corners of the car park opened back up again.

The fair face brickwork walls will be repaired and remain to the ground and upper ground levels.

The plans will see a partial demolition of the building at the Tanner Street end, construction engineers say it will not affect Shakeaway or Iceland on the ground floor.

As reported in the Chronicle the car park was closed on March 30 last year after it the 40 year-old structure was deemed unsafe.

Many people have opted to use the nearby Chesil multi-story car park, but there have been problems for people getting into and out of the city at busy times of year like Christmas, and the subject of car parking in the city has been debated by councillors, Winchester Action on Climate Change (WinACC) and business leaders.

Residents objecting to the scheme say that reopening the car park will increase pollution in Winchester, they also point out the council should be encouraging people to use the park and ride car parks.

The scheme has had more than 15 letters of objection, and one letter in support.

One of those was Hazel Ogombar, who wrote: “A new car park will obviously be a traffic attractant which will add to the already dreadful levels of air pollution and traffic congestion which plague our city.

“You will be well aware that Winchester's air pollution is already at above legal levels and is a significant risk to public health. A new car park is the last thing that we need.”

There will be no new car parks in central Winchester, and that for every parking space created outside the centre since 2006 there will be a matching reduction of spaces in central Winchester.

Also objection was Friends of the Earth and WinACC.

One letter in support was written by Dean Upton, who wrote: “I am writing to support the council’s application to reinstate a small number of the parking spaces that we used to have in Friarsgate. Parking can be in short supply during peak times, in particular it’s near impossible to park during the weeks of the increasingly popular Christmas markets.”

No decision on the scheme has been made yet.