SHOPPERS, workers and traders in Shaftesbury have welcomed the opening of a long-awaited long-stay - and free - car park in the town.

The 79-space Barton Hill car park which opened to the public on Wenesday, October 25 is a joint project between Shaftesbury town council and North Dorset district to ease the lack of long-stay parking for town centre workers.

Originally intended to serve nearby sports and recreational facilities including the town's swimming pool, bowls club, children's play area and skate park at Barton Hill, the £170,000 project was widened to accommodate the demand for all-day parking following the loss of the Coppice Street site four years ago when it was sold to make way for a Tesco supermarket.

Situated just a few hundred yards from the main town centre the Barton Hill site off Bleke Street near the Ivy Cross roundabout will also help reduce pressure on the limited kerbside and car park spaces available to shoppers in the town centre.

Shaftesbury and district Chamber of Commerce chairman Richard Thomas said: "Parking in Shaftesbury has always been a problem, but it became acute four years ago with the loss of the previous long-stay site.

"The Chamber is obviously delighted that at long last the new free car park is open and hopes that as many people as possible will now use it, whether they are working, shopping or just visiting Shaftesbury."

The car park which took 10 weeks to construct has been funded by the district council and built on the former Queen Mother Gardens land owned by the town council.

While the work was under way the town council used the opportunity to renovate the adjoining skate park and landscape the run down tennis court area.