ONE of the busiest car parks in Weymouth has undergone a £300,000 refurbishment – but safety barriers have not been installed on its top floor.

Britannia Parking, which owns the multi-storey car park on Commercial Road behind Debenhams, has invested the money to upgrade the 470-space car park but has not installed the barriers on the top level of the complex.

It is one of Weymouth’s busiest car parks but there have been a number of incidents over recent years with people falling to their death off the roof.

Calls have been made for barriers to be installed so people can remain a safe distance away from the edge.

But the £300,000 invested by the owners has been spent on new state-of-the-art lighting throughout the complex, new automatic number plate recognition cameras, new entrance and exit barriers, plus new machines and a new pay system, which will see lightweight coins replace tickets.

Brian Parker, Britannia Parking’s managing director, said that the car park already takes safety precautions.

He said: “We continue to have the deepest sympathy with anyone who has been involved in incidents at the Weymouth multi-storey.

“We take safety and security incredibly seriously at all of our sites. We have previously considered the issue of barriers at board level and unfortunately we felt that it was impossible at this stage to install barriers on a practical basis.

“It must be stressed that we do have safety and security measures in place at the Weymouth site, including security patrols, existing fencing at certain points and CCTV which is monitored around the clock.

“Attendants are on duty during key times and fully trained on how to deal with any safety issues that arise.

“As a local and privately owned business, community responsibility is very important to us and we continue to review safety and security on an ongoing basis at Weymouth and all of our sites.”

The investment is part of the firm’s nationwide modernisation programme, and Mr Parker said the investment would improve the customer experience of the car park.

He said: “As one of the busiest car parks in Weymouth, we recognise the multi-storey’s importance to the town centre, local economy and community.

“We have more than 25 years of experience establishing and managing car parks, and appreciate that high-quality parking facilities are important to create the best customer experience for motorists and help draw people into the town centre.

“Our £300,000 investment has improved the ambience and security at the car park, making it brighter and more welcoming for our customers.

“The car park is the first of our sites nationwide to be fitted with new barriers and modern pay points, while the new lighting and machine will significantly reduce our carbon footprint.”