Covent Garden multi-storey car park in Leamington Spa permanently closed to the public on Sunday 12 February 2023..

Further investigations have revealed structural issues, along with high maintenance costs to maintain health and safety, and this combined with escalating antisocial behaviour,  has meant we have had to consider the long-term future of this ageing multi-storey car park.

Covent Garden multi-storey car park has had reduced capacity and use over the years, more recently the closure of levels 5 and 6 following unacceptable antisocial developments in the unused sections of these upper floors.  

The car park capacity is 270 spaces, (234 regular and 36 parent and child bays found on the ground floor). The pandemic has changed the ways many of us work, with home or agile working being seen as the norm for many and evidence suggests that  there will be sufficient car parking available in the other town centre car parks after Covent Garden multi-storey car park closes.

During the car park closure, the short-stay surface car park will remain open, with 80 parking spaces, of which 8 are mobility bays.

Parking improvements

Significant improvements have been made to our car parks at Princes Drive and Archery Road, additional spaces added at Court Street Upper Grove Street and Station Approach. 

In addition, parking charges have been reduced this year in our Old Town car parks at Court Street, Bath Place, Packington Place and at Station Approach car park, with tariffs reduced to £1 for 1hr, £2 for 2hrs or £3 all day at both Station Approach off De Normanville Avenue and Lower Road.

Season ticket holders

Covent Garden multi-storey car park season ticket holders can continue to use these at our long stay car parks at St Peter's multi-storey car park, Upper Grove Street and Adelaide Bridge. Existing ‘The Space’ resident season tickets can be used at Covent Garden surface car park overnight between 5pm and 9am, 7 days a week. There are no plans to enable the renewal of season tickets.

Future plans

There are proposals for a ‘Park and Ride’ car park on the outskirts of Leamington in the future which will help reduce congestion, pollution and improve the town centre air quality too.

Our choose how you move initiative encourages more sustainable travel modes, and the table below shows the distance and walking times from all town centre car parks. These have been based on a central destination of the Warwick Road/Parade cross roads from each car park.

Car Park Short/Long Stay Spaces Walking distance (miles) Walking time (mins)
Chandos Street Short 151 0.1 3
Royal Priors MSCP Long 440 0.1 3
Covent Garden Surface Short 80 0.2 4
Bedford Street Short 49 0.2 4
M&S Surface Short 21 0.2 4
Upper Grove Street Long 26 0.3 6
St Peters MSCP Long 383 0.3 6
Rosefield Street Long 45 0.4 8
Adelaide Bridge Long 45 0.5 9
Station Approach Long 99 0.6 11
Station Approach Lower Road Long 30 0.6 11
Bath Place Long 53 0.6 11
Packington Place Long 32 0.6 13
Court Street Long 116 0.7 13