A car park in Berkshire has been closed off to the public to prevent anyone from getting injured by overhead concrete.
Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council (RBWM) shut the Nicholsons Car Park in Maidenhead on New Year’s Eve, hoping the closure would be temporary.
However, it has now revealed on Twitter the facility will remain closed as the concrete requires further assessment.
“It’ll remain closed while a further technical condition assessment is carried out across the car park and options for any further works required are identified / considered [sic],” the BRWM wrote on the social network site.
Checks will now be carried out on the multi-storey car park to make sure it meets health and safety standards.
This is not the first time the local authority has shut the facility, as its floors five and above were closed in August 2022 when people threw heavy objects down on to the pavement below.
However, the recent closure is due to structural concerns, and requires a concrete condition survey to ascertain whether it is safe to use.
It could be found the concrete in the car park has deteriorated over time, which may be the result of a number of factors, including impact and mechanical damage, overloading, shrinking, insufficient maintenance, and environmental changes.
Inspectors will look at the condition of the car park, as well as conduct different tests, including strength assessments, dust sampling and defects surveys to determine whether it needs to be repaired or replaced.