Bromley Council wants to close Wharton Road car park, saving £4,758 a year and clearing the way for redevelopment. Its children's home plan drew 125 objections.

Bromley Council is moving to close the small car park on Wharton Road, the site of its contested children’s home plan. Officers want the Executive to agree the closure in principle on Wednesday 25 November.

The closure would save £4,758 a year, according to the officers’ report. It says that money covers maintenance, enforcement and business rates, which currently outweigh the car park’s income. The scrutiny committee discusses the plan first, on Tuesday 10 November.

The land matters more than the saving

The report says the proposal is “not solely a parking-management decision”. It says keeping the site as a surface car park would limit what the council can do with the land, and that closing it would make the site available “for the next stage of the redevelopment process”.

The report does not say what would be built. It refers only to “wider redevelopment proposals”.

The only council scheme we know of for the site is its application for a children’s home and care leaver flat, 26/02370/FPA. That plan drew 125 objections and 5 letters of support, mostly over parking and the size of the building. Officers recommended approval, but the report was withdrawn before the committee met on 8 October. The council has not published a reason.

That application had not been decided when we last reported on it. The planning register could not be read today, so we could not confirm whether that has changed.

What would happen to parking

The report says 16 permit bays would be lost. It has identified 22 possible new on-street permit bays nearby to replace them.

Those bays are not guaranteed:

  • They still need the usual legal process before they can be created.
  • The report says a permit “does not guarantee the availability of a parking space”.
  • Permit holders have no right to a particular bay, street or car park unless their permit says so.
  • Parking in nearby streets would be kept under review, but the report says that is no commitment to add controls.

What residents have been told

The report acknowledges correspondence, complaints and information requests about the car park, permits and consultation. It says some of the permit figures quoted to the council “require care”, because they cover different areas, permit types and dates. It does not rely on earlier permit totals to estimate how many vehicles would be displaced.

It points to earlier engagement on the redevelopment. It also says this does not replace any statutory consultation or public notice needed for the closure.

Officers considered keeping the car park, or running it on an interim basis. They concluded that closure best fits the council’s financial and regeneration aims.

What it means for you

  • The car park is still open. No closure date has been set, and the Executive has not yet voted.
  • If you park there, the report says users should get reasonable notice of the closure, the date and the alternatives. Other town centre options are in our parking in Bromley guide.
  • If you objected to the children’s home, a closure decision is separate from planning permission. Any scheme would still need its own planning, property and legal approvals.

Sources