A SCHEME to free up extra parking spaces for shoppers at an edge-of-town retail park is to be repeated.

For the first time last December, Northumbrian Water let staff working at the Arnison Centre, in Pity Me, near Durham City, use its private car park at weekends, to free up more on-site spaces for shoppers.

Now the initiative is to be repeated for this month, running until January.

Framwellgate Moor and Newton Hall Liberal Democrat county councillor Mark Wilkes, who has been working on the deal, said: “This helps greatly with congestion and parking issues and is a fine example of how Northumbrian Water works so well with the local and wider community.”

He added: “They are to be applauded.”

The 25-year-old Arnison Centre is currently undergoing a multi-million pound expansion which will include a three-hour parking limit for shoppers.

Extra parking for staff is to be provided behind the retail units.

Also, there will be three new shops and some stores are relocating.