Plans for a massive new ‘park and ride’ facility in Portadown – at a cost in the region of £3 million – are to be recommended for approval.
Officials at Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council have been considering the application since it was submitted by Translink last December.
And they will recommended to next Wednesday’s council planning committee that the development be allowed to proceed.
It has been in the pipeline for considerable time now and a public consultation exercise has also been held.
The facility will include 347 parking spaces.
There will also be lighting, a cycle shelter, and general storage area.
And the park and ride area will benefit from the installation of CCTV to provide peace of mind for motorists leaving their cars there.
The park and ride will be located on an expansive site adjacent to Curran Street and the former Denny’s meat factory on the Corcrain Road.
The application also includes “all associated access and egress facilities including right turn lane to Corcrain Road”.
Traffic, therefore, coming from the Armagh direction will not have to negotiate the whole way around Portadown town centre to find a parking space to catch a train, something which emerged as an issue of concern.
It will allow motorists to access free park and ride spaces from the Corcrain Road with the hope of reducing congestion from commuter traffic through congested town centre routes.
The new facility would also provide disabled access parking and the overall site will be surrounded with security fencing.
The application will be recommended for approval at next Wednesday’s meeting but this will still require going before the full council sitting at the end of the month to be formally ratified.
