A TOWN centre car park will close next week to create £555,000 worth of green space on the banks of the River Skerne.

Parking behind Darlington Borough Council’s Town Hall is set to be redeveloped into a Riverside Park to link the Feethams leisure complex to St Cuthbert’s Church.

One hundred spaces and three Blue Badge parking spaces in the Town Hall car park, behind the Department for Education offices in Bishopgate House, will lost to make way for the project.

The Town Hall car park, off Church Row, will close on Monday, February 27, with the Riverside Park project expected to be completed this summer.

Councillors agreed to release a £90,000 contribution towards the new park in December last year, supported by a further £10,000 being provided by the Darlington Lions Club to celebrate the club’s centenary year.

The remaining cash to create the Riverside Park has been obtained through various sources, including the Homes and Communities Agency and Feethams Leisure.

The greenery will include walkways, tree planting and seating areas, along with a viewing platform along the western bank of the River Skerne.

Leader of Darlington Borough Council, Councillor Bill Dixon, said: “The new park will more than compensate for the loss of car park spaces at the Town Hall as it will create an area where people can enjoy the riverside location whilst still only being a stone’s throw from the town centre.

“The money allocated for this scheme can only be spent on the park so it makes sense to put it to good use and improve this important central location.”

Darlington Borough Council stated the loss of spaces will be offset by the 650-space Feethams multi-storey car park that opened last February.

In a report prepared for Darlington Borough Council cabinet members ahead of their December meeting, costings for the £555,000 Riverside Park includes the first three years of maintenance expenses.

For more information on the Riverside Park scheme, visit darlington.gov.uk/riversidepark

Alternatively, for more information on alternative car parks to use in Darlington town centre, visit darlington.gov.uk/carparking