EXTRA free parking is being provided on Felixstowe seafront to cope with the summer influx of visitors, it was announced today.

EXTRA free parking is being provided on Felixstowe seafront to cope with the summer influx of visitors, it was announced today.

Suffolk Coastal council has opened up a further section of the Wireless Green car park off Langer Road following requests from attraction owners in the area.

With the resort's new stretch of improved beach thanks to the completion of the new �10 million sea defences and more people holidaying at home, the resort is hoping for a bumper summer season.

Wireless Green was due to have been redeveloped this year as part of a 17-acre �25 million regeneration scheme to create a maritime park and new homes, but because of the recession the project has been put on hold.

The informal free car park will be open every day during the summer.

Council cabinet member Robert Whiting said: “From 8.30am to 5.30pm the gates are open for people to park for free and to help cater for what we hope will be a great summer in Felixstowe with lots of people coming to the resort and its Blue Flag beach.

“We are now extending the parking area at Wireless Green so that even more people can get the benefit of free parking, although I would caution that this latest area is probably best suited to those driving 4x4 vehicles as it is a bit sandy.”

Talks are to take place later in the year with developers Bloors about the redevelopment of the south seafront, but no work is expected to start until March 2010 at the earliest.

The council is also offering free parking at its Melton Hill offices on Saturdays in partnership with the Woodbridge Town Centre Management Ltd to help make up for the loss of one of the riverside town's car parks while Anglian Water carries out some major works.

Is free parking on the seafront a good idea? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk