Decision on future of Trowbridge multi-storey car park confirmed
The Council intends to hand over ownership of the site
Last updated 13th Oct 2025
Wiltshire Council has confirmed its intention to hand over ownership of St Stephen's Car Park in Trowbridge.
The authority plans to transfer the freehold of the site to the owner of Castle Place Shopping Centre, which it says will open up development opportunities to boost the town centre and local businesses.
The decision will be discussed at a further scrutiny meeting later this week (16th October) after the plans were formally called in by 11 backbench councillors.
Cllr Helen Belcher, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Regeneration and Assets: "We feel the reasoning and the context for the decision we have agreed has been clearly set out. We are, of course, happy to follow the democratic process, and this will provide another opportunity for us to explain the choices we were faced with, the legal and professional advice we have been given, and why we believe we are taking the right approach.
“The multi-storey car park site has been a source of much speculation and uncertainty for years, but we have provided clear direction, and we hope any future plans for the site can bring many long-term benefits to the town and its residents."
A confidential financial proposal will be discussed by Full Council in the coming weeks.
The car park was closed last week to allow for "essential and extensive" repairs, which saw fabricated steel-back propping installed and was required to keep the site safe until the closure of the leisure centre in Castle Place. It's due to reopen in January 2026.
But the Council says the design of the car park is at the end of its useable life, and it would be a major cost to taxpayers to carry out further work to ensure its long term future.
The authority had a number of options available to it, including doing nothing, permanently closing the site, demolishing it or rebuilding it, but felt none of those presented a financially viable way forward.
Trowbridge is the only town in Wiltshire that has a free public car park, due to the legal agreement between Wiltshire Council and the owner of St Stephen's Place shopping centre, which has been in place since 1974. However, while it is closed, the council has made Court Street and Church Street car parks available without charge while repairs to the St Stephen's multi-storey car park are carried out.
These arrangements will be in place until 6 January 2026. Enforcement will still be carried out at the car parks to ensure people are parking correctly and not violating any other car park regulations.