A new council car park offers all-day parking for just £2 at Romsey.

Mayor of Test Valley, Jan Lovell, officially opened the 95-space long stay car park at Romsey Rapids on Monday.

A new footpath has been made to connect the car park to the town centre.

The car park remains free for up to four hours for users of the Romsey Rapids leisure facilities.

The Mayor was joined by members of Test Valley Borough Council’s project team, town centre manager, Mark Edgerley, councillors and Kevin Paterson, chief executive of Valley Leisure, which runs the Rapids.

Martin Hatley, planning policy and transport portfolio holder, said: “We are keen to free-up car parking spaces in the town centre for shoppers and visitors and offer cheap, long stay parking spaces slightly further out for the town’s workers. The new long-stay spaces at Romsey Rapids are already proving popular with workers as it is much cheaper to park there and takes just a few minutes to walk in to the town along the new path.”

He thanked Broadlands estate for allowing the council to build the new footpath on its land.

Town centre manager, Mr Edgerley, said he used the car park himself and commented: “We are looking to see whether part of the car park can be used for coaches on weekdays. We haven’t got a coach park in Romsey but could do with one.”