A MULTI-million pound investment to end Hexham’s parking crisis could be a step closer after Northumberland County Council confirmed it was considering buying a disused plot of land.

Hundreds of all-day spaces could be made available on the abandoned bunker site off Alemouth Road if acquisition of the land, which has long been mooted as a suitable site due to its proximity to the town centre, is successful.

However, council officers are also said to be working on alternative options should the deal fall flat, including creating a multi-storey in the town’s Wentworth car park near the former tourist information centre.

Last year the council commissioned consultants to carry out parking studies and survey work in Hexham, Berwick, Morpeth and Alnwick, to help develop future parking options.

And, after setting aside £10m for the four improvement schemes as part of the budget, an action plan has been drawn up to ensure recommendations drawn from the reports by White Young Green Transport Planning and local consultation, are followed through.

The report recommends the creation of at least 250 extra long stay spaces and outlines how the current estimated 2,690 spaces across 19 parking areas in the town are used.

County councillor for Hexham East, Cath Homer, said: “Any development we see will be in keeping with Hexham as a heritage town. But the key thing is that the parking issues Hexham has are no longer being dismissed. There is a lot of work going on to make changes for the better.”

Coun. Trevor Cessford, who represents the Hexham Central ward, said: “It’s refreshing to know that, after almost five years of going to meetings with the county council with Coun. Homer and not getting anywhere, we are finally being listened to.”

Deputy Mayor of Hexham, Coun. Bob Hull, said it was encouraging that the county council had found capital to deal with Hexham’s concerns.

County councillor for Hexham West, Derek Kennedy, welcomed the progress with the bunker site, but questioned how the town would function if work to build a multi-storey at Wentworth was progressed.

“How could you build that and continue to provide the space which would service the parking needs of the town?” he said.

“I welcome this progress, but I am disappointed that options such as building a multi-storey on the Arch-owned Tyne Valley Retail Park, or at the hospital don’t appear to have been explored.

“Surely Arch could look at purchasing the old bus station site, which has effectively been land banked by Dysart, and create some kind of shopping area and car park there.”

Other proposals in the action plan drawn up to relieve pressure on spaces in Hexham in the short term include removing HGV parking from Wentworth to increase capacity and imposing a 24-hour maximum stay on long stay spaces.

Establishing whether retailers, including Aldi and M&S, would be willing to convert under-utilised sections of their car parks for long stay parking is also recommended.