Businesses are backing plans to solve Colchester's congestion problems with a park and ride service.

Colchester Chamber of Commerce had concerns that there are not enough sites for a system to work, but these have been allayed.

A survey of members found 89 per cent of the 73 firms who responded were in favour of a park and ride system, which is planned by Essex County Council to tackle the town's traffic troubles.

Chamber manager Kim Salmon described the result as "a whitewash" in favour of park and ride, but said that more than the proposed sites at Stanway and Cuckoo Farm were needed.

"The trouble with park and ride is that we cannot just have one site, we need them all around Colchester," she said. "These sites would only cover two sides of the town. A site to the east is needed."

Rodney Bass, councillor with responsibility for county council highways, said that it "was always in the plan" to have a park and ride site east of Colchester, as the third stage after Stanway and Cuckoo Farm.

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Published Tuesday, November 29, 2005

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