MOTORISTS are getting free parking at a recently-reopened Winchester car park because no tickets machines have been installed.

The car park, just off North Walls, has around 80 spaces and was closed for many months to allow for flood prevention engineering work at the back of the nearby Trinity Centre.

It reopened, at least a week ago, but without the ticket machine. The price board is still covered over, but all-day parking would usually be £7.30; an hour would cost 80p.

One parking driver, who asked not to be named, said: "Something has gone wrong. Perhaps the factory was hit by Covid and their is a backlog. It won't last for ever. No, I don't feel guilty. I've been paying for parking in Winchester for 30 years so a little discount doesn't go amiss."

Hampshire Chronicle:

The Chronicle asked Winchester City Council for comment and in a statement it said: "Durngate Car Park is owned by Hampshire County Council. The city council’s operating lease ended in December 2020 and the car park is now managed fully by the county council."

The county council has been approached for comment.

The information board next to where the ticket machines will go is currently covered over but appears to be in the Winchester City Council blue-coloured branding. A spokesman said it was county council branded.

Yesterday evening, in a statement, Cllr Russell Oppenheimer, Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Highway Operations, said: “Durngate car park in Winchester is currently closed and there are temporary signs and cones in place to advise the public that it is not open.

"This will be a Hampshire County Council run car park in due course and we are currently finalising the contractual arrangements for the parking machines and pay-by-phone parking. It is anticipated the car park will be operational in a couple of months time.”

Hampshire Chronicle:

It was unclear if the county council has closed the car park this afternoon following enquiries by the Chronicle or whether it has considered it being closed even though it was being used by dozens of motorists. There have been no visible signs indicating it was closed. A closed sign was lying by the entrance, hardly visible to drivers.

This afternoon, Hampshire County Council added: “I can confirm that Durngate car park remains closed. It has been closed while flood alleviation works, and also building work on nearby Trinity House, have been undertaken. The surface of the car park still needs to be reinstated and there is also a need for some minor landscaping work. Highways officers are currently arranging for more robust measures to be introduced to reinforce the fact that the car park is shut.”