A Newry, Mourne and Down councillor has welcomed the progression of a 400-spaced park and ride in Downpatrick.
Alliance Cllr Patrick Brown said the local Co Down town lacked "adequate parking facilities" and that congestion was one of the 'main issues raised' by local residents.
It's understood that the Department for Infrastructure is set to purchase a piece of land from Invest NI in order to start the construction of the new parking facility - subject to planning permission from the local authority.
Meanwhile, Cllr Brown said the new amenity would be "welcome addition to the area".
He added: “The lack of adequate parking facilities and congestion is one of the issues most frequently raised with me by constituents across the district, but particularly in the Crossgar/Downpatrick area.
"As such, I have been lobbying the Department of Infrastructure for some time to address this with a holistic strategy that tackles the overarching problem, rather than focusing on small scale fixes, such as an extra space here and there.
“The large Park and Ride facility proposed in Down Business Park will significantly improve the parking amenities for the local community, providing low cost, convenient parking for commuters.
"I am, therefore, delighted that the Department is currently progressing plans at this site.”
"I can confidently say that this will be a welcome addition to the area, especially by those who travel to Belfast each day, and want to thank the Department for the work they’ve done so far.”
