COMMUTERS using Charlbury station will no longer have to battle for parking spaces in the future.

First Great Western (FGW) has announced it will build 83 new spaces – including eight for disabled drivers – at the Forest Road station.

The £470,000 project will begin on May 8 and FGW hopes to have work complete by September.

Currently, the car park has 158 spaces and Charlbury councillors have been fighting to get the number increased for more than 20 years.

The line through Charlbury station was redoubled last year as part of a £67m project to restore double track on sections of the Cotswold Line between Oxford and Worcester.

Charlbury Town Council chairman Nick Potter said: “It is desperately needed. The car park is full by about 9am every morning and we get people parking all over the town, which has been our main problem. It has displaced parking for people who want to work or shop in Charlbury.”

The council has been fighting for the project since British Rail took over the site, which was rented to the town for allotments, more than 20 years ago to extend the car park.

Cotswold Line Promotion Group chairman John Ellis said: “Charlbury has always been a bottleneck for car parking. We think a number of people are actively deterred from using rail because they know there are no car parking spaces at Charlbury.”

FGW spokesman Dan Panes said: “Charlbury is one of our fastest growing stations and we have been looking to add more parking facilities for some time.”

Last week FGW announced that it could also build a new 197-space car park at Hanborough station, at the former Hewden plant hire depot nearby.

The Hanborough project is subject to FGW receiving funding from Network Rail. A decision is set to be made on May 10.