A SOUTHAMPTON car park is set to host a shopping village made up of shipping containers housing shops, offices, and places to eat.
The city council has agreed to lease part of the site to College Street Yard Ltd (CSYL), which plans to use specially adapted containers arranged around a central courtyard.
The proposed "box park" aims to boost footfall in the area as well as providing opportunities for start-up businesses.
A report to the council's ruling cabinet said: "CSYL is a new company with an interest in setting up a shipping container village on part of the College Street car park.
"The directors are local to the area and are involved with various property projects in Southampton.
READ MORE: Plan for containers complex in part of College Street car park
"The proposal is generally supported by the community including the current Business Improvement District."
Planning permission for the scheme was granted in October last year.
The proposal sparked seven letters of protest from locals who raised concerns about noise, traffic and the loss of parking spaces. But the report said conditions attached to the temporary ten-year consent addressed the objections.
It added: "The scheme had been in abeyance as CSYL needed to seek a funder, which they now confirm is in place.
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"Meetings have recently taken place with council officers to discuss the steps that will be required to bring the scheme to fruition. The next steps are to prepare and agree the lease. This will allow CSLY to proceed with detailed design and construction."
If the scheme goes ahead the container village is likely to open in the summer of 2023 or the spring of 2024.
It would involve the loss of 67 parking spaces - 40 per cent of the bays currently available. But the report said the car park "continued to be under-utilised", with usage still below pre-pandemic levels.
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CSYL will be responsible for maintaining the containers and will have to reinstate the land at the end of the agreement.
The planning application described the scheme as a short-term venture that would provide a venue for businesses and food and retail outlets, plus a performance space.
It added: "Using shipping containers College Street Yard will tap into the history of Southampton and create an attraction that will be made great by the people who operate there."
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