The Council have blamed archaeologists for a delay in re-opening the Haymarket car park. It has been closed since January.

“The Council are planning to sell the site but before any disposal could take place an archaeological dig was required on the former Peasholme Hostel site and the entrance way to Haymarket Car Park, plus the northern fringe of the former ambulance station site”.

At a recent Council meeting the responsible Cabinet member claimed,

“The dig was initially due to be completed by Easter but burials were discovered very close to the surface. In places remains were found only just under the tarmac and substrate. This means that the remains have to be removed before any development can take place on this part of the site. The current plan is that the archaeological dig will be completed by the end of July, following which the reinstatement works will be carried out, with a view to the car park being reopened sometime in mid to late August”.

The Cabinet member claimed that there had been no loss of income as “parkers would have used on street spaces at Dundas Street orin the Castle/Picadilly car park”.

We think that it is much more likely that motorists will have used the privately operated car park at Garden Place.

In most of the last 10 years the Haymarket car park produced an income of around £150,000 for the Council.

The ambulance station site has been unoccupied for 2 years and could, in the view of most motorists, have been used for parking in the interim.

The Council has also been criticised for not displaying progress reports at the entrance to the Haymarket car park.