New housing could be built on a former Ashby car park if plans submitted to North Lincolnshire Councils (NLC) planning department are approved. This site is the former car park on Collum Avenue which is next to Ashby police station, the proposed development is for the construction of 14 town houses a block of garages and associated access and parking. A temporary closure order of the pay and display car park was sought in September 2004 for a period of approximately one year. The council was proposing to develop in partnership with others, an up to date primary care and medical centre and a neighbourhood nursery facility in Ashby. The development was planned on the existing site of the Ashby Clinic on Collum Lane, and would require the provision of temporary facilities during the construction of the new centre. The Highways and Transport Service had been approached by the Head of Property Services to ask if the Ashby Institute pay and display car park site could be used for the temporary clinic facilities. The car park was not well used and alternative car park sites were available within a short distance. The car park closed in February 2005. When the building work was complete at the Collum Lane Centre the temporary use of the car park had finished. The future use of the site had to be decided. If it was decided to use the site as a car park again the developer would do minor works to restore it to its pre-closure condition. Given its poor state prior to the temporary closure, the site would need a total refurbishment programme, new signage and a new ticket machine, with costs estimated at �23,000. It was considered that with alternative parking provision in the area, the lack of demand and no expression of concern during the closure, refurbishment costs might prove prohibitive and that the car park be permanently closed and land disposed of. This appears that NLC have allowed a developer to use the site then have it handed it back in a state of disrepair and haven�t pursued them for remuneration. Is this right? Looking at the Local Development Plan and the need for extra housing within the next 10 years are NLC right to continue building on Green Field sites, is the use of Brown Field sites like at Collum Avenue the solution or is this seen as congesting our urban space?. Collum Ave Car Park Disused Planned