DETAILS of the painstaking process needed to demolish and rebuild Castlepoint’s defective car park and its walkways have been unveiled.

A planning application was submitted today, ready for work to start in the first quarter of 2015.

The car park demolition and rebuild is the more straightforward aspect and will be done in five phases, starting at Sainsbury’s and working along the two malls.

Void spaces underneath some shop units will be opened up, creating extra car parking spaces. A minimum of 2,500 car parking spaces will be available at all times, which is enough to cater for all but the very busiest spells.

The demolition and rebuild of the walkways is more complex and will require the smaller shop units to close for five days on a rolling basis. Work will be done in six phases, the first of which will start outside New Look just after next Easter and move towards B&Q. Sound-proof hoarding bearing each shop’s logo will be erected while the walkway is demolished and reinstated.

The anchor stores – Sainsbury’s, Asda, M&S and B&Q – will not need to close but entrances and exits will be temporarily altered while their part of the walkway is rebuilt.

Work on the walkways will not be done during peak times including December and early January.

The plans have been explained to retailers and Mike Nisbet, development manager for retail park managers Standard Life Investments, said their responses had been very varied. “Most of them are just thankful that we’re getting on with it and there’s an end point in sight,” he said.

“Some are really positive and will take the opportunity when closed to have a shop fit.

“There’s one or two pretty upset about the whole thing. Some clearly want to reserve their position.”

The rebuild will be overseen by original contractor Kier. Alec Ward, Kier’s project director, pledged to minimise problems with dust, noise and vibration and said: “It will still look like a retail park and not a construction site.”

The rebuild also provides an opportunity to improve the layout and appearance of the car park. The lower level will be brightened up with new lighting and the grey concrete will be replaced with a white composite steel beam and concrete structure. New cladding will also be installed under the walkways.