Residents have greeted news that developments on a North East car park extension are underway with mixed reactions.

Yesterday (February 22), an image emerged of work beginning on the Cat Nab car park in Saltburn with an excavator present on the site.

Residents greeted the image with a mix of anticipation and concern regarding its ability to enhance the number of visitors to the town.

The car park, which is located adjacent to the junction of Saltburn Road and Saltburn Bank, will be receiving an extension as part of a scheme by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, who plan to create a further 34 spaces, including ten bays for disabled motorists.

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Speaking on the development, a spokesperson for Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, said: “Cat Nab overflow car park was granted planning permission last year and involves the creation of a brand-new car park across the road from the main Cat Nab car park.

“The car park will provide 25 additional parking spaces and will also introduce traffic calming measures to the highway as well as a new pedestrian crossing.

“Works started on site earlier this month and are scheduled to be completed in time for the Easter Holidays.”

The development gained planning permission in January last year, despite an objection from Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Parish Council, which feared it would become a “caravan/camper van park”.

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Meanwhile. residents let their views on the development known online, with some positive about the business it could bring to the town, while others worried it could make the area much busier.

In a social media post, one concerned resident said: "This will be a nightmare to get in and out of in the summer."

While another said: "Certainly enhance visitor numbers, it's a place I sometimes avoid because of how long it takes to park."

Adding to this, another resident said the extension was a "great idea" but questioned whether potholes surrounding the area would be dealt with.

Shortly after planning permission was given for the development last year, it was subject to scrutiny from local councillors.

Speaking on the plans at the time, Saltburn councillor Philip Thomson said the local authority’s estimation of how many spaces were required for motorhomes was “totally inadequate” and asked that the design be looked at again.

He said: “It grieves me to mention car parks again.

“We are applauding the fact that we have started to develop the Cat Nab car park and are going to put in four motorhome spaces.

“The average weekend uptake during the summer is 30 motorhomes.

“This is really totally inadequate and is another example of a desktop survey that has gone wrong.

“We are not using all of the hinterland to put in more spaces so we are not exploiting the full capacity that we could.

“I ask, will you re-visit the design of the Cat Nab car park?”

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Last year, it was reported the project was being paid for with money from the Tees Valley Combined Authority-funded ‘Welcome to Redcar and Cleveland’ programme, with an estimated cost of between £415,000 and to half-a-million pounds.

The council said there had been requests for many years from the local community, residents and businesses in Saltburn to increase car parking due to overcrowding during peak periods.

The Cat Nab scheme was included in a council car parking strategy published in 2021, which included plans to create a separate overflow car park at the pumping station opposite Cat Nab, and increase parking capacity on Marine Parade.