With thousands of Ed Sheeran fans set to descend on Ipswich over the August bank holiday we take a look at where you can park in the town centre and how much you will pay in parking fees.
A spokesman for Ipswich Borough Council’s events team have revealed that they are working on a comprehensive travel plan for the four-day extravaganza which takes place from August 23 to August 26 and minimising inconvenience to families living close to Chantry Park will be a priority.
The spokesman said of the plan: “This will cover both parking and public transport to minimise inconvenience to nearby residents while helping concert-goers get to the park quickly and safely. But we can confirm that there will only be parking in the park for blue badge holders.”
Those without a disabled badge are being steered towards the town centre as it is likely that there will be on-street parking restrictions in the vicinity of the park.
Town centre parking
This will be the obvious answer for most travelling by car and arriving early will be key to avoiding queues and a hunt for a space.
From the main town centre it is about a 30-minute walk to the park and there are more than 2,000 spaces available in council-owned car parks plus 1,800 in NCP car parks across Ipswich.
There are also RCP car parks around town charging £5 a day with a total of around 150 spaces available
The long stay car parks in Portman Road are among the closest and also the cheapest with 24-hour tickets for the NCP car park costing £4.50 and day passes for the council-operated car parks are priced at £5.
However, those attending on weekdays could benefit from the £2 after 2pm deal currently on offer in council car parks (unless this is removed for the weekend) as gates are not expected to open until 4pm.
NCP are offering the chance to book ahead - and some of their car parks offer 24 hours for just £4.40 in advance but be warned, the Burrell Road car park has sold out of car parking spaces for Ed Sheeran’s first date on Friday, August 23, and revealed that spaces are selling fast for August 24 too.
There is likely to be less pressure on parking for the Sunday night gig as most shoppers will have left town before the masses arrive and there are fewer on-street parking restrictions on a Sunday.
The Britannia-operated Spiral Car Park in Civic Drive offers but costs £7 for six hours and £9 for 24 hours.
The ‘bomb site’ car parks along the Waterfront could also be used - the borough council has car parks here and others are run by private companies, some charging up to £12 for the day.
Private drive way parking
Sites such as Park On My Drive and Just Park are worth baring in mind as they list all the driveways which are available to rent.
However, we would recommend you hold off booking until the council have revealed more about their travel plan.
Suffolk One
In previous years the sixth form college have opened up their car park to allow those attending an event at Chantry Park to leave their vehicle there.
A spokesman from the college said: “We will plan to open the car park as in the past and a charge will be made. Still to finalise plans”.
This is approximately a 22-minute walk from the park.
Parkopedia
This nifty tool has a massive database on local car parks, including costs. It currently only displays information six months in advance so to view the Ed Sheeran dates you will need to wait a few weeks.
Bus routes
Chantry Park can be accessed via London Road, Lavenham Road and Hadleigh Road. Both London and Hadleigh Road are served by several bus routes, so you could always park your car further a field and then catch the bus to the park. If you are going to enter the park from London Road you can get off the bus at the Orwell Housing Association numbers 15, 91, 92, 93, 93A, 93C, 97, 114, 114A, and X93 all stop there. This means you could easily catch a bus from Stoke Park, Hadleigh, Holbrook, Brantham, Manningtree, East Bergholt, Capel St Mary, Colchester, Chelmondiston, Shotley Gate, Sudbury, Debenham, or Eye. Hadleigh Road is served by three bus routes - 90, 91, 988 - and these come in from Hadleigh, Sudbury, Bramford and Sproughton.
Park and Ride
Sheeran fans can also use the London Road park and ride to get to Chantry Park.
Chris Speed, head of operations at First Ipswich, said: “We are looking forward to the event later on in the year and over the next couple of months we will be planning what transport provision will be required to accommodate visitors who are attending the event.”
Read more: Hotel prices soar for 2019 Ed Sheeran gigs – with some fully booked for ENTIRE weekend
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