Plans have been approved to put a cruise car park on a site previously earmarked for a 17-storey block of flats.

Southampton City Council officers gave the green light to an application to bring a new car park to the former Olleco site on Royal Crescent Road, which was previously used to store and process cooking oil.

In March 2024, plans were conditionally approved to demolish existing buildings and bring a new 17-storey development of 397 studio flats, though no construction began on the site.

READ MORE: Southampton: Plans for 397 studio flats on Royal Crescent Road

The application to turn the spot into cruise car parking has now been approved by the council.

Councillor Sarah Bogle publicly slammed the plans, objecting that a “key development site” be used as a car park.

“This puts pressure on the local highway network and impacts on local residential areas nearby,” she said.

The conditional approval from Southampton City Council noted that “management presence” should be on site “at all times” when the car park is in use.