Park and Ride to get bigger and better

expand the current Park

and Ride facility at

Sprucefield.

The existing Park and Ride was opened in 2006 and has proved to be hugely popular over the years.

With over 300 parking spaces on offer, commuters make use of free parking when they pay £5 return to travel by shuttle bus into Belfast city centre.

The facility was originally envisaged as a temporary measure during work on the M1 motorway and the Westlink.

However, such was its popularity, Roads Service decided to make it a permanent feature.

Expand

Five years on, in 2011, Roads Service revealed plans to expand the scheme and sought planning permission for an even bigger site at Sprucefield.

The go-ahead was given for a new facility which could accommodate up to 658 cars.

The scheme also included plans for disabled parking, security hut, public toilet, bicycle stands and two bus-stops.

At the time Roads Service said work on the facility would begin once funding became available; however the plans were shelved for almost four years.

Now work looks set to progress, with Roads Service publishing a public notice that it intends to vest land in the Sprucefield area to allow construction work to get underway.

Roads Service currently leases the land which houses the Park and Ride and now hopes to acquire the land to make this a permanent facility.

A spokesperson for the Department of Regional Development said: “Work is due to commence to acquire land for the development of a new Park and Ride site at Sprucefield.

“Planning permission was granted in 2011 for the development of the site which, when complete, will offer additional car parking spaces for commuters.”

Vested

A map of the land intended to be vested can be viewed at the Roads Service offices at 40a Benson Street in Lisburn.

Anyone wishing to object to the vesting order being made must do so in writing before March 3.

Objections should be addressed to the Divisional Roads Manager, Department for Regional Development, Roads Service, Eastern Division, Hydebank, 4 Hospital Road, Belfast, BT8 8JL.