Crewe's new £11 million multi-storey car park has cost Cheshire East Council around £87,000 to operate and brought in just £17,244 in parking income in its first six months.

In October, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) exclusively revealed the 395-space car park was bringing in just £75 a day in terms of income for the council.

But, at that time, Cheshire East was unable to reveal its operational costs.

Parking income, from opening to January 31, has increased to around £110 a day (LDRS).

Now, following a freedom of information request, the LDRS can reveal parking income, from opening to January 31, has increased to around £110 a day.

But the car park cost about £87,000 to operate up to that date, meaning a total loss of £69,756 just six months after opening.

The response from the council to the freedom of information request, stated the primary costs were 'business rates of £29,860, £34,480 on utilities, £19,800 on maintenance and £2,860 on security costs'.

It added: "Parking services currently provide staffing resources to cover all the council's town centre car parks within Crewe."

The LDRS also asked whether Cheshire East paid the full construction costs for the car park or whether it had been part-funded by grants.

The council replied: "The cost of constructing the Crewe town centre MSCP was £11.3 million and this was fully funded by Cheshire East Council.

Cheshire East has installed 73 CCTV cameras across the car park and the new bus station next to it (Ryan Parker).

"Five million pounds of external grant (Local Growth Fund) has been allocated to this project, but as this was time-limited, it was reallocated to another project which defrayed the costs within the required time-frame.

"The £5 million CEC funding for that project was reallocated to the Royal Arcade MSCP and bus station project."

The council then said it was important it provides 'additional contextual information in our response' and included information which it said it had provided in a similar recent FOI response.

This stated: "The MSCP provides capacity to replace spaces being lost when other car parks are closed in the town centre.

"Recently, car parks have closed at Oak Street for the youth zone, the Civic Centre for the development of the history centre, and Lyceum Square to reinstate the outdoor events space, and there are plans to redevelop other town centre surface car parks."

Cheshire East has installed 73 CCTV cameras across the car park and the new bus station next to it.

The 395-space car park officially opened in July 2024 (LDRS).

The council said this was 'to provide maximum coverage internally and externally for the purposes of reducing crime, disorder, anti-social behaviour, and the fear of crime by helping to provide a safer environment for those people who live and work in the area and for visitors travelling through the area'.

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