Following our successful planning application last year for a new car park and Activity Centre at Lakeside, Ferry Meadows, work is about to start on the construction of the new car park, which will improve facilities for all and help service the growing demand for parking. The existing Lakeside car park will stay open throughout these works.

We at Nene Park Trust are continuing our programme of reinvestment and improvement by replacing the 40-year-old car park, which is no longer fit for purpose, with new landscaped car parking; creating more spaces and upgrading the facilities for all our visitors. The well-designed modern car parking facilities will include improved accessible parking, plentiful EV charging points, sustainable drainage and lots of integrated tree and shrub planting.

Initial works, including archaeological excavations and associated ground works for the new car park, will begin this month and access to the existing car park will be maintained throughout, with business as usual at Lakeside Kitchen & Bar, Nene Outdoors, Fox play and other attractions at Lakeside. We are in the process of appointing a construction partner and we expect to complete the new car park towards the end of the year.

We are very sorry for any disruption the works cause to visitors. Constructing the new car park is an essential and important step in delivering the Nene Park Masterplan. The investment will also establish key improvements to biodiversity in this area of the Park, creating new habitats, planting and creating a new permeable car parking area using predominately natural materials and reducing use of our overflow car park.

The new car park will clear the way for the building of the exciting Lakeside Activity Centre and we hope to be able to provide more information on funding and timescales for this later this year.

Andrew MacDermott, Head of Development at Nene Park Trust added “We are excited and ready to get underway with this important improvement in the Park, supporting the delivery of the Park Masterplan and projects such as the Activity Centre.  We are working with local partners on the archaeological phase, which will be interesting, and look forward to following this with the creation of much improved car parking facilities for all.  All our activities at Lakeside will continue undisturbed while this work is being carried out and we look forward to welcoming visitors over the summer.”

To keep up to date with the development of this project, please see our Activity Centre web page, follow our social media channels for the latest announcements and check in on site in the Park to see progress for yourself.