Plans to expand Bury St Edmunds Police Station car park to provide 40 extra spaces
A car park at Bury St Edmunds Police Station could be expanded to provide 40 extra spaces.
Tim Passmore, Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner, has submitted a planning application to West Suffolk Council to extend the car park at the back of the station, in Raingate Street, from 49 spaces to 89.
A design and access statement said additional spaces were required to accommodate increased staff demand and 'regularise the parking of operational unmarked police vehicles which are used by staff and police officers'.
A 1.8 metre high fence will be erected to secure the area and a 'small number of existing trees will require removal in order to create enough space to house the new parking area'.
One resident has objected to the plan citing environmental and traffic concerns.
They said: "This area is a haven for wildlife including pheasants, deer, foxes, bats (a survey has been carried out this summer), squirrels and assorted birds.
"There are two mature willow trees that help support this wildlife and will help in the absorption of environmental pollution, any new planting will not do so in the same way for many years.
"Do we not have enough traffic in this conservation area at the best of times? How will this meet the council's proposed pollution targets if there are even more vehicles?"
An arboricultural impact assessment for the site said of the three weeping willow trees to be removed, one is dead, another is in 'poor condition' and the third is 'still in satisfactory condition but does have defects'.
They will be replaced by a weeping willow, a field maple and a pedunculate oak and a new mixed native species hedge will be planted.
The assessment said the planting is 'designed to be in keeping with the new development and provide landscape benefits and new wildlife habitats'.
The design and access statement added: "There is currently an insufficient quantity of parking on site and without the allocation of additional car parking, problems of congestion and unauthorised car parking may occur."
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