Row over Broad Marsh bumps rumbles on
NOTTINGHAM City Council says it did not cost any extra money to install controversial bumps at the Broad Marsh Car Park which prevent wet vehicles from damaging the site.
The seven “rumble strips” were installed on October 27 last year and have been dubbed “awful” and a “joke” by Post readers.
The authority said at the time that the bumps were installed to “help remove water from cars as they drive over in heavy rain, or occasionally snow in winter, therefore reducing the risk of it pooling in bays when the vehicle has parked.”
A spokesperson for the council said: “We had been advised this has caused damage to road surfaces in other car parks around the country.”
The logic behind the rumble strips was questioned by many readers.
One wrote: “They are awful! Wish they’d remove them, they put too much stress on the car in a short space of time, no doubt they will ruin some cars’ suspension among other things.” Another reader questioned what the bumps indicated about the construction of the £50m Broad Marsh Car Park and Bus Station building, writing: “Considering the old car park survived for donkey’s years, I think there’s a big story being missed by us all here. Is the concrete substandard? Or in the build and design did they forget a vital component - adequate drainage?”
The Post asked the city council how much it cost to install the bumps and to see a copy of the advice it received about the need for them.
The council now says that it has not paid any extra for the rumble strips, saying they form part of the original construction costs.
In terms of the advice it received about the need for the bumps, the council now says: “The council do not hold any such advice.
“This was a useful suggestion/ addition discussed and agreed with the main contractor to aid/assist with the natural removal of snow and water off vehicles prior to parking in the centre.”
It also looks as though the bumps are here to stay, given that the city council said in January that a decision about whether to keep them would be made “in the coming weeks”.
The £50m construction cost covered all elements of the Broad Marsh Car Park and Bus Station building, with the former element first opening in November 2021.