DRIVERS are bracing themselves for parking headaches after one of Poole’s main town centre car parks closed for essential repairs yesterday.

The ageing Shopping Centre 2 rooftop car park, accessed via the concrete spiral in Serpentine Lane, has been shut by engineers in a bid to end the problem of water leaking into neighbouring shops.

Borough of Poole engineers say the 134 spaces will be unavailable “until further notice” while a detailed investigation is initiated.

The Daily Echo understands that, depending on the nature of the necessary repairs, the car park could remain closed for months. Concerned drivers say lengthy queues often build up at the car park entrance, which is shared with the larger Shopping Centre 1 multi-storey car park.

One fuming shopper said: “With one of these two car parks shutting for the foreseeable future, we could be in for a frustrating summer.”

A number of leaks have been patched-up in recent years, but officials have decided now the time is right for a more comprehensive fix.

WH Smith, one of the affected shops in Falkland Square, has suffered significant water damage in recent months.

Spokesman for the retailer, Katie Prout, said: “We welcome the closure of the roof top car park to allow for a detailed investigation into the cause of the water ingress and completion of the necessary repairs.”

Engineers will place a lightweight plastic membrane over the car park deck to determine the cause of the water leak before carrying out repairs.

Borough of Poole engineering and maintenance manager John Rice said: “The closure will provide immediate relief for the shops affected by the water leaks.

“We would like to apologise for any inconvenience this closure may cause but hope shoppers will understand that this essential work has to take place.”

Neighbouring Shopping Centre 1 car park and the Dolphin Centre multi-storey will open as usual.

Poole motorist Jean Smith said: “This closure may indeed prove problematic, because as the weather gets better these two car parks have always had a tendency to pack out pretty quickly. On a nice day we could see larger queues and shorter tempers.”

Borough of Poole strategic director Jim Bright said: “This car park is about 30 years old and we have carried out a number of assessments and repairs since we took a lease of the car park in 1992.

“We sympathise with those shops that have been affected by the recent water leaks and are working closely with the owners of the car park to find a solution to this problem as soon as possible.