City car park to close until summer 2021 for coronavirus testing site

A city centre car park will be closed until summer 2021 to make way for a coronavirus testing site.

Westwick Street car park has been closed and will remain so until summer next year for a new testing site to open.

It is understood the centre could be up and running as early as this week.

Norfolk currently has three testing centres, with one in Postwick Park and Ride, another which opened earlier this week at Alive Lynnsport in King’s Lynn and one in Great Yarmouth.

The Postwick centre was forced to close earlier this month after an outbreak of coronavirus among people who work there.

Mobile units have been used in towns across the county.

Mass testing is being rolled out to almost 70 more areas as the government looks to stem the spread of coronavirus amid the second national lockdown, but Norfolk and Waveney were not among them.

But Norfolk County Council has told the government it wants to pilot mass testing.

Norwich City Council, which manages the car park, said season ticket holders had been contacted and can either park in the neighbouring surface car parks, displaying their Westwick Street pass, or can request St Andrew’s car park passes for the duration theirs is valid for.

A sign on display at the car park says the site closed on November 23 and will remain so until summer 2021.