A free 135 space car park has been created in Newton Mearns in an effort to encourage local people to leave their cars and travel into Glasgow by train.

The new facility, at Patterton roundabout, which will provide parking for Patterton rail station and Dams to Darnley Country Park, was recently opened by East Renfrewshire Council’s environment convener Councillor Eddie Phillips.

The project is a partnership between East Renfrewshire Council, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), the Scottish Government and Dams to Darnley Country Park.

It has been funded by a £850,000 grant from SPT and the land was provided to the council by Elphinstone and the Greenlaw Consortium as part of the planning agreements associated with the Greenlaw development in Newton Mearns.

Work began on site 2 February this year and the car park was completed in early September.

The car park was designed and project managed by East Renfrewshire Council’s roads service and the council’s roads contracting unit was the contractor.

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In all 97 ordinary spaces, 10 disabled, 22 spaces on grassed parking, three parking spaces for coaches and three spaces for bus stop/drop off.

There is also a bus shelter, lighting and 24 hour security cameras which are linked into the council’s CCTV system.

The route of a footpath leading from the car park into the Dams to Darnley country park is still under discussion but it is hoped that this will soon become one of the major access points in the country park.

Councillor Eddie Phillips said: “This new car park at Patterton provides an alternative to Whitecraigs station where park and ride is heavily over subscribed.

“It will cater for increased demand and we hope it will encourage local people to leave their cars in a safe environment and to use the train instead.

“Patterton park and ride facility marks yet another step towards taking commuters out of their cars and allowing them to travel by rail.

The large number of spaces will not only take some of the stress out of travel, but it will take some 250 tonnes of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere every year. I hope the facility will be well used.”

SPT vice-chair David Fagan said: “We know from experience that developing Park and Ride sites like this one at Patterton are crucial because they are what the public want.

“Facilities such as these make commuting easier, promote increased use of public transport and offer more sustainable travel choices.

“The hard work of the organisations involved has meant that we have progressed with this project very quickly and I am sure local people will be delighted with what has been delivered.”

(GK)