SWINDON Council’s cabinet has come under renewed criticism for borrowing £15m to build a new multi-storey car park after it emerged that fewer motorists than expected parked in the town centre during the last financial year.

In 2011, the Conservative administration agreed to take out the loan to build the six-storey, 850-space facility, which is nearing completion on the site of the old police station.

This is part of the £25m first phase of the Kimmerfields redevelopment, formerly known as Union Square.

The Adver reported at the time that the car park was seen by Cabinet as an investment and it was expected to pay for itself in fewer than 10 years.

But some Labour members were concerned about further borrowing and suggested the private marketplace could fund a car park instead.

Official figures presented to cabinet reveal that in 2012/13, the council saw a shortfall of £169,000 on predicted car park pay and display income due to fewer cars parking in the town centre.

This was offset by a business rates saving of £108,000 and staff vacancy savings of £242,000, but the Labour group is again questioning the need for the borrowing.

Coun Julian Price, Labour’s lead for transport, said: “The fact that fewer people are parking in the town centre really does throw open the question why Swindon’s Conservative administration have borrowed £15m to build a new town centre car park.

“This £15m will be coming out of everybody’s council taxes so it needs to be spent with a credible business plan for the money to be paid back.

“And the fact that fewer cars are being parked in the town centre suggests there is no credible way the council will get its money back. It will just become a financial drag on council-taxpayers for years to come.

“At the time the Conservatives made this decision, the Labour group questioned whether there was a need for a new car park and Coun Perkins and the Conservative Group said there would be.

“Yet the figures appear to contradict them.”

The Adver reported in March that Cabinet hopes to save £400,000 in operating costs by closing “surplus” parking spaces to mitigate the impact of the new Kimmerfields car park, expected to open in August, and to reduce the number of spaces to 4,000 in the town centre.

The first of two phases of closures focuses on surface car parks and is estimated to save £198,000 a year, through business rates, rent, insurance, utilities, cleaning and maintenance.

The council says there are too many council car parks, some of which are no longer fit for purpose or are in the wrong place, and it also wants space for future regeneration schemes.