CHELMER Valley Park and Ride is to get 300 additional parking spaces, with work planned to start next month.

Essex County Council announced the extension to the car park, on Essex Regiment Way in Chelmsford, due to its continued popularity.

The increase will take the number of spaces to approximately 1,000.

Since it opened in March 2011, it has been used to make over 1,000,000 return journeys into Chelmsford.

Councillor Rodney Bass, in charge of highways and transport, said: “The expansion of Chelmer Valley Park and Ride demonstrates its popularity. Customers have told us they wanted additional parking and we’re delivering it for them.”

Work on the expansion is set to begin on Monday, June 9, with minimal disruption to current users.

This expansion follows the recently completed extension to the Sandon Park and Ride, in use since November 2013.