Guiseley’s long-standing parking problems are set to be alleviated with the opening of 145-space car park.

The new car park, on Netherfield Road, opened this week, and is being hailed as a major step in the right direction in easing the town’s chronic parking problems.

The new facility, which is convenient for the station, is free for all users and it is expected to be used by many commuters travelling by train from Guiseley.

It is expected to have a significant impact on the congestion caused by commuter traffic, and bring an end to parking misery for residents.

Many streets in the area and the Morrisions car park have been clogged up with cars left all day by commuters.

But now those parking overspill problems are expected to be significantly reduced.

In recent years motorists have struggled to find parking spaces in the town centre and many shoppers have found themselves unable to use Morrisons car park.

Commuters travelling by train from Guiseley have been making use of the Morrisons car park and street parking for many years now as the train station provides minimal parking spaces. This in turn has put pressure on residents and other members of the public, reducing the amount of spaces available for Morrisons shoppers and causing congestion on the main roads.

But the efforts of ward councillors and pressure from members of the public came to fruition when the owner of the Netherfield Road site, St Modwen Properties, agreed to transfer the land to Leeds City Council and make a £40,000 contribution towards the refurbishment of the car park.

Councillor Graham Latty (Cons, Guiseley & Rawdon ward) said: “Guiseley has long suffered from car parking problems and we have been campaigning and working long and hard for some time now to find a resolution.

“The opening of this new car park will help to alleviate the car parking problems in the town centre. I am very happy that we have been able to secure this site. This is not the final solution to parking in Guiseley but it is a major step in the right direction and I am delighted to have been able to drive it through”

Stephen Prosser, Yorkshire regional director for St Modwen Properties, said: “As the master developers of a new residential scheme in Guiseley, adjacent to the Netherfield Road site, we became aware of the parking problems in the town. We recognised that this situation could be easily resolved and gave us the perfect opportunity to give something back to the Guiseley community.”