Advertisement

Vineyard Street lift to shut for eight weeks – here's how much repairs will cost

Fix it – the lift has been notoriously unreliable in recent years <i>(Image: Newsquest)</i>
Fix it – the lift has been notoriously unreliable in recent years (Image: Newsquest)

A CITY centre lift in one of Colchester’s main car parks will be out of service for nearly two months from next Friday, with the council spending more than £80,000 to repair it.

Vineyard Street car park, which lost nearly a quarter of its spaces in December due to a new cycle lane, offers a lift to Eld Lane and Lion Walk for the frail and disabled.

But the lift will close next Friday, February 10, for approximately eight weeks because it is undergoing a refurbishment.

The service was out of use for two weeks in 2019 when the council spent £7,000 on new panelling.

Now, the lift is going to have some of its mechanical components replaced in an attempt to make it more reliable – and the final bill comes to £81,000.

Unlike the repairs four years ago, however, the lift won’t look any different – but it is hoped it will be more reliable.

Martin Goss, Colchester Council’s portfolio holder for neighbourhood services and waste, said: "Although you won’t see a difference to how the lift looks on the outside, we’re investing £81,000 to replace several major components, which will make the lift more reliable in the future."