New multi-storey car park open for business
Council Leader Councillor Martin Gannon was impressed by the facilities at the brand new The Quays multi-storey car park (MSCP) after it opened on Quays Boulevard in Gateshead this week.
The £23m car park with over 1,000 spaces has opened to the public this week and offers not only secure parking, but also the largest amount of EV chargers in the area, with 50 bays available.
The car park was commissioned to 'future proof' the area for parking demand when construction work was being planned for Gateshead Quays, as well as serve wider development in the area.
Councillor Gannon officially opened the building and then took a tour to see what the public can expect.
He said: "This is a hugely impressive facility, and it's going to be so important to help grow the economy in this part of the borough.
"We remain hugely ambitious to develop land on Gateshead Quays, and in the Baltic Quarter - and this car park means we have capacity for developments as they come on stream.
"When you see the view from the top floor, you realise it's a great location - just a few minutes from BALTIC and the Glasshouse, and then you have all the offices, hotels and Gateshead College too.
"We encourage people to use the most appropriate mode of transport for their journey, so the car park is one part of the transport mix - Metro, buses, walking and cycling all have important roles too."
The charges to park at The Quays Multi Storey Car Park will be in line with other Gateshead Council car parks nearby - £2.60 for up to two hours, or £5.70 per day.
Payment is through 'Pay by Phone', with no payment machines on site.
The building's 50 electric vehicle charging bays have both 22kw and 7kw chargers available.
And there is enough space and infrastructure in the car park for EV charging provision to increase further as demand grows.
The car park also has 45 large accessible bays to provide for those with mobility issues.
The car park has been designed with the latest high-definition CCTV technology, with dozens of cameras, and also features 550 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on its roof to generate 220kW of clean electricity annually.
The car park project was funded through the council's capital programme alongside a £2.8m contribution from the government's national Getting Building Fund, which was administered by the NE LEP (North East Local Enterprise Partnership), now part of the combined authority.
The car park building was largely finished in early 2023 and Gateshead Council did consider opening it straight away but, due to costs and timetabling uncertainty, it was agreed that the MSCP would remain closed for a period, with regular reviews to assess when it should open.
The council also needed to resolve some snagging issues before the building could be signed off for use.
The Council will operate the car park in the short term, though the contracting of a specialist private sector operator for the longer term is also being considered.
Apart from using Pay by Phone, 'season ticket' permits are also available to purchase in advance from the council's parking team, with Monday-Friday parking at £291 for three months or £958 per year.
The EV chargers, managed by APCOA, cost 66 pence per kilowatt hour (KwH) to use.
Council Leader Councillor Martin Gannon was impressed by the facilities at the brand new The Quays multi-storey car park (MSCP) after it opened on Quays Boulevard in Gateshead this week.
The £23m car park with over 1,000 spaces has opened to the public this week and offers not only secure parking, but also the largest amount of EV chargers in the area, with 50 bays available.
The car park was commissioned to 'future proof' the area for parking demand when construction work was being planned for Gateshead Quays, as well as serve wider development in the area.
Councillor Gannon officially opened the building and then took a tour to see what the public can expect.
He said: "This is a hugely impressive facility, and it's going to be so important to help grow the economy in this part of the borough.
"We remain hugely ambitious to develop land on Gateshead Quays, and in the Baltic Quarter - and this car park means we have capacity for developments as they come on stream.
"When you see the view from the top floor, you realise it's a great location - just a few minutes from BALTIC and the Glasshouse, and then you have all the offices, hotels and Gateshead College too.
"We encourage people to use the most appropriate mode of transport for their journey, so the car park is one part of the transport mix - Metro, buses, walking and cycling all have important roles too."
The charges to park at The Quays Multi Storey Car Park will be in line with other Gateshead Council car parks nearby - £2.60 for up to two hours, or £5.70 per day.
Payment is through 'Pay by Phone', with no payment machines on site.
The building's 50 electric vehicle charging bays have both 22kw and 7kw chargers available.
And there is enough space and infrastructure in the car park for EV charging provision to increase further as demand grows.
The car park also has 45 large accessible bays to provide for those with mobility issues.
The car park has been designed with the latest high-definition CCTV technology, with dozens of cameras, and also features 550 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on its roof to generate 220kW of clean electricity annually.
The car park project was funded through the council's capital programme alongside a £2.8m contribution from the government's national Getting Building Fund, which was administered by the NE LEP (North East Local Enterprise Partnership), now part of the combined authority.
The car park building was largely finished in early 2023 and Gateshead Council did consider opening it straight away but, due to costs and timetabling uncertainty, it was agreed that the MSCP would remain closed for a period, with regular reviews to assess when it should open.
The council also needed to resolve some snagging issues before the building could be signed off for use.
The Council will operate the car park in the short term, though the contracting of a specialist private sector operator for the longer term is also being considered.
Apart from using Pay by Phone, 'season ticket' permits are also available to purchase in advance from the council's parking team, with Monday-Friday parking at £291 for three months or £958 per year.
The EV chargers, managed by APCOA, cost 66 pence per kilowatt hour (KwH) to use.
