THE Government has given Suffolk an interim grant of £146,000 to cover higher construction and land costs for Ipswich's third park and ride site at Martlesham.
THE Government has given Suffolk an interim grant of £146,000 to cover higher construction and land costs for Ipswich's third park and ride site at Martlesham.
The county council is facing a shortfall of £500,000 on the project, and transport portfolio holder Julian Swainson told county councillors on Thursday he expected the balance to be included in next year's local transport plan settlement.
Rebuffing criticism from the Tories, led by Joanna Spicer, over the success and costs of park-and-ride, Mr Swainson said the Martlesham terminal would be environmentally sound and would help the authority's green transport polices.
Mrs Spicer said Ipswich's two existing park and ride sites at Copdock and London Road received a subsidy from council tax payers of £400,000. "This is a cost of £1.70 a journey and the figure is set to double when Martlesham is up and running."
She added: "Around Britain, park and ride sites are run by providers often not the local authority. Why not go and check these out?"
A Tory notice of motion calling on a review of park and ride was defeated after Mr Swainson said possible for additional sites – not just in Ipswich – would be considered for inclusion in the local transport plan to cover the years 2006-11.
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