A city civic group has been left "dismayed" by the design of a new £5 million multi-storey car park in Canterbury.

The Canterbury Society has accused the council of proposing “ugly modern blocks” at one of the main gateways into the city.

Authority bosses last week revealed the design for the three-level, 380-space car park on the existing Station Road West site, with the building clad in a wood-effect material.

The council says the facility is needed to meet the increasing demand of the high-speed rail services arriving at the station.

But Society chairman Jan Pahl says the group, which aims to encourage sympathetic architecture in the city, is not impressed by the design.

"We need to think carefully about this important street, a major entry point to one of Europe’s finest historic cities and used by thousands," she said.

"It should be a spacious street, lined with houses and trees, with no sign of ugly modern blocks such as we have in this proposal.

"We need the car park, but it could go down one level below ground, and the height above ground should be limited to two storeys and concealed behind high-quality houses.

"Alternatively, the car park could be built further along Station Road West – beyond the Goods Shed."

Transport and environment manager Richard Moore admitted that creating a car park in a conservation area presented significant design challenges.

He added that the design brief was to minimise the impact of the building on its surroundings.

"As a major gateway into the city for tourists and visitors, it is important to make the pedestrian route from the station into the city centre as attractive as possible," he said.

New shop units for the street frontage of the building would “add to the vibrancy” of St Dunstan’s, he added.

A drop-in consultation event about the plans is being held at the Guildhall in Canterbury today from midday to 4pm.

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