Signs giving notice that the Meadows Road car park will no longer be in use from 12 May 2026 have been posted at the site. Work on building three new enterprise units on part of the car park is expected to start imminently.
The new enterprise units will comprise 29 sqm / 312 sq. ft of active floor space and staff kitchen and toilet facilities. The existing car park is to be reconfigured to create approximately 18 parking spaces, three of these will be reserved for the users of the small business units.
Original proposals for the site were for a shared services hub, a £6.5 million plan intended to provide a modern “one-stop shop” for public services, but were scrapped after partner organizations withdrew from the project, rendering it “untenable.”
Following the scrapping of the original project the Kidsgrove Town Deal Board held consultations and agreed on project reallocation of funds. Problems with the development of the station due to ground works also led to a revision of proposals there. The new scopes include a community learning hub on the Kings Academy site, the small-scale enterprise units on the Meadows Road car park, canal pathway and access improvements, highway improvements at The Meadows/Station Road, and Market St /The Avenue/Heathcote St, along with public realm improvements by Kings Street parade, and Station improvement works.
The Council say the enterprise unit scheme will boost the local economy by providing purpose-built space for small businesses but objectors, including the owners of existing nearby businesses, say the plans will have the opposite effect by effectively taking parking away from customers.
A planning officer for the council said: “It was determined that this type of unit would provide an alternative use for the site that would provide a different offer to the town centre, because you’re looking at enterprise units not main town centre uses. It was felt by that department of the council that there was demand for that type of unit and that it would complement the town centre and that the two would work together.”
The highway improvements are to include the introduction of a one-way section in Market Street from the Home Bargains pedestrian ramp to the junction with Heathcote Street along with a short section of time limited parking.
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