Warwick District Council is looking to revive a derelict multi-storey car park – but the feasibility study alone is set to cost £235,000.

Linen Street Car Park, Warwick, was closed to most of the public in 2021 due to safety concerns related to upper floors. Some basement parking was maintained for private leaseholders living on Martinique Square and The Woolpack, Warwick.

Repairs and condition checks continued until March 2026 when all spaces were closed following a structural survey and fire safety review.

The council has faced increased pressure to do something with the site in recent years but any work to demolish all or part of the car park or strengthen its structure won't be easy due to the close proximity of neighbouring buildings and the highway.

However, district bosses are now looking to break the deadlock and will recommend to the cabinet – the coalition of Green and Labour councillors in charge of major services – on Wednesday to sign off the £235,000 spend on consultants.

The work will include looking into how the partial demolition of the upper decks, the refurbishment and strengthening of the remaining structure and extending the car park's lifespan will be achieved.

If it is deemed viable, the plan would not only reopen the 30 required leaseholder parking spaces but bring back into use other spaces, potentially providing income for the council.

The rationale, set out in the report informing the cabinet decision, reads: "The structure is at the end of its life and its condition will only continue to further deteriorate over time. The cost of resolving this building will only become more expensive due to inflation in the construction sector.

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"The council has lease obligations to provide 30 secure car parking spaces. The cost of providing alternative secure parking in Warwick would likely outweigh the costs of investing into Linen Street Car Park to extend its lifespan.

"The council does not have any existing alternative secure parking in Warwick that satisfies the obligations within the lease and the council's Car Parking Strategy demonstrates there is need for additional public car parking in Warwick."

The money will fund consultants as far as the developed design stage before a review to check the project can realistically proceed to the next stage, including evaluation of risk management, viability and whether it meets the objectives of the business case.

Alternative options of doing nothing or knocking it down for housing were ruled out due to viability issues linked to the complexity of the site.

Doing nothing would require alternative provision for the leaseholders with West Rock Car Park the likeliest option but that is projected to cost the council £76,000 per year in lost revenue.

The report adds: "It is unlikely that any private developer would be interested in acquiring the site due to significant viability challenges in terms of demolition costs and addressing the leasehold obligations.

"The site currently has a nil value and is an impaired asset. There was a private developer who explored taking the site but the viability challenges put them off."