Bid to outsource city centre car park withdrawn

An attempt to outsource a prime site city centre car park to a private operator has been withdrawn after opposition from councillors.

Exeter City Council wanted to borrow £2.5m to refurbish the Cathedral and Quay car park - which has been hit by repeated vandalism - before handing it over to a private contractor.

But the plan faced criticism at a full council meeting on Tuesday night due to concerns over outsourcing a publicly-owned asset.

The plans were withdrawn by the council leader to be discussed at a later date.

The meeting was repeatedly interrupted for private conversations between politicians and council officers, prompting the Lord Mayor of Exeter, Anne Jobson, to say it had become "a bit like Dragon's Den - they keep on going to the wall behind me".

Phil Bialyk, the Labour leader of the council said: "I'm quite clear that outsourcing it will be the best answer."

Bialyk said both businesses and the public wanted the car park refurbished and back in full use and added: "We need to get on with it - we need to invest in that car park."

The car park has 355 spaces over five decks but the upper decks have been closed since 2020.

The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Michael Mitchell, said: "My concerns are about the principle of outsourcing a public sector function and, secondly, the way in which we're doing it."

The report to the council said it had "been resolved that the management of Cathedral and Quay once refurbished and reopened should be outsourced to a leading private sector car park operator".

Mitchell questioned who had made that initial decision and called for a "proper report, proper evidence and a proper discussion".

Bialyk said he was "pulling" the plans so they could be developed by officers and discussed again at a special meeting on 24 March.

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