Preston St George's shopping centre car park closed 'until lockdown is lifted'

The entrance to the car park, off Lune Street, was cut off with a barrier from February 18, following a significant reduction in use during the national lockdown.

The car park, which holds 410 spaces, is frequently used by shoppers and professionals who work in the city centre.

And mall bosses have confirmed the car park will remain closed until the demand for spaces increases back to normal levels following the easing of lockdown restrictions.

They added that the decision to close the car park was due to the costs incurred with keeping it open and not a result of the recent administration announcement.

Alex Williams (Joint Administrator) said: “Due to the national lockdown and with non-essential retailers currently closed at St Georges Shopping Centre, the number of cars being parked in the car park has reduced significantly.

"A decision was made due to the costs associated with keeping the car park open and was not as a result of the administration.

"The car park was closed also during the first lockdown in March 2020. We anticipate reopening the car park when lockdown restrictions are lifted and the demand for spaces increases to more normal levels.”

The news comes as the shopping centre, home to popular high street stores such as New Look, H&M and Matalan, had announced it had fallen into administration last month.

But the owners of St George's - IRAF UK Dragon Ltd - confirmed that the administration of the partnership and the companies would have 'no operational impact' on St Georges Shopping Centre which continued to trade in compliance with Government Covid regulations.

Council leader Matthew Brown called on the people of Preston to support city centre shops to help them recover from the impact of lockdown.

He said: "This is disappointing news which we will continue to monitor with the hope that a beneficial solution can be found that ensures St George’s continues to play an important role in Preston’s future and that jobs are protected.

“We are pleased that St George’s will continue to operate as normal throughout the process and as our high street begins to safely reopen it is important we all support city centre businesses to help them recover from the pandemic.

Thanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 per month for the first two months. Try us today by ​clicking here.