Littleport station is finally to get an extension to its car park after years of campaigning and negotiations by the parish and district council.

A deal has been struck for enough land to provide an additional 80 car parking spaces, with the potential for further expansion in the future.

Councillor Bill Hunt, chairman of East Cambridgeshire’s asset development committee, said the expansion will see a 200 per cent increase in the number of parking spaces (115 in total) which will alleviate problems for both commuters and residents living close to the station..

It is hoped the new spaces should be available for train travellers to use from next summer.

Littleport district and parish Councillor David Ambrose-Smith said: “This is fantastic news for local residents as well as those looking to relocate to Littleport. The extra spaces will ease congestion around the station gateway and will provide a direct link into the new station at Cambridge’s Science Park once opened. This is yet another good news story for Littleport which will help revitalise the town and make it an attractive place to live.”

Cllr Hunt added there are no plans to increase charges, making parking at the station an attractive alternative to travelling on the congested A10.

Littleport station’s car park opened over 10 years ago as a way to encourage greater use of Littleport’s station whilst helping ease the pressure at Ely. Usage steadily increased over the years and it was soon realised that additional car parking spaces were needed.