Leading car park operator Britannia Parking has opened its latest facility in East Cowes town centre on the Isle of Wight.
It has created the 48-space Well Road car park to provide much needed parking for residents, tourists and visitors as well as for commuters and ferry passengers.
Short, long, overnight and 24-hour stays available on the site, which has been made available by ferry company Red Funnel. It is the only long-term/overnight car park in East Cowes.
Red Funnel carries 2.3m passengers and 800,000 vehicles on its ferry route between Southampton and East Cowes every year. Bournemouth-based Britannia Parking operates more than 400 car parks nationwide.
East Cowes Mayor Peter Lloyd officially opened the site at a ceremony with Britannia Parking commercial director Mark Watts, Red Funnel Director of Operations Mark Slawson, and Adam Burton and Dave Jones of Stoneham Construction.
Mr Watts said: “It was a pleasure to provide a positive parking solution for East Cowes.
“It will benefit the town centre, local economy and tourism as well as provide a valuable facility for ferry passengers while supporting Red Funnel’s business growth.”
The car park, which took three months to complete, is fully CCTV protected.
Its rates start at £1 for up to one hour, and £10 for up to 24 hours. Customers can pay for parking on arrival, and can also pay by phone or online via a website or mobile app.
Cllr Lloyd said: “East Cowes Town Centre has been in desperate need of more parking, so the addition of the Well Road Car Park is very welcome indeed and will help support local commerce.
“I’m thrilled that Red Funnel was able to step forward and bring this solution to life. It’s a great win for residents and visitors alike.”
Mr Slawson said: “From speaking with key stakeholders and residents in East Cowes we knew there was a pressing need for a parking solution.
“As we had the capacity to help solve the problem, we did. It was just the right thing to do.
“From giving tourists coming through East Cowes somewhere to park and stay awhile, to giving Islanders the option to leave their car near the terminal and walk on board the ferry, and simply giving residents a place to park in town, the car park is a win on many fronts and we’re so pleased about that.
“We’d also like to say a very special thanks to our friends at Stoneham Construction and Britannia Parking for being brilliant partners on this project.”
Britannia Parking is one of the UK’s largest car park operators with more than 30 years of experience.
It is a member of the British Parking Association and the industry’s Approved Operators Scheme.
For more details phone 0845 5 555888 or visit www.britannia-parking.co.uk.