First look at £8m rail car park
This is how the new £8 million multi-storey car park at Stafford's railway station will look.
Work will begin on the project on October 26 and is expected to continue until next autumn.
Commuters and motorists are being warned to expect months of disruption during the building work. And the planned building has also come under fire as "horrible" from a borough councillor whose ward takes in the station.
Forebridge councillor Chris Baron said there should have been full local consultation.
Network Rail was forced to alter its plans for a multi-storey car park at the station, which is in a conservation area, after the original plan was labelled a "monstrosity" by councillors last year.
It has been able to go ahead with the scheme without having to obtain full planning permission as the development was on an existing station car park.
Councillor Baron said it was a sensitive site opposite Victoria Park and had set a bad example to small developers.
"There are a lot of trees fronting the park and now there will a horrible glass and brick building opposite," she added.
When completed the car park will increase the parking capacity at the station by 272. The 460-space four-storey car park will accommodate a growing number of rail commuters and ease parking congestion in the town.
Virgin Trains, which runs the station, and Network Rail, who are funding the work, are carrying out an information exercise to make rail users aware of how the work will affect them.
While the construction work is under way alternative car parking is being made available.
There will be a £6 charge per 24 hours. Existing season ticket holders will not have to pay any more. Passengers will need to pay for parking at the station ticket office and have details of their car registration number. They are being advised to allow an additional 20 minutes to catch trains.
Shuttle buses will run from the car park at the junction of Doxey Road and Baxter Green. The north car park at the station will remain open. The shuttle buses will run between 5.30am and 12.30am Monday to Friday and 8am to 12.30am at weekends.
