It’s great to see Ipswich Borough Council’s new Crown multi-storey car park open for business, writes David Ellesmere, leader of Ipswich Borough Council.

We have started slowly without a huge fanfare so we can iron out any teething problems.

However, word has got round quickly and we have already had thousands of visits to the new car park. Comments so far have been very positive.

Crown has always been a popular car park due to its location near Marks and Spencer, Debenhams and Sailmakers along with Crown Pools and the Museum.

The prices are a big attraction too. Our opening offer is £1 an hour and £2 for the rest of the day after 2pm on weekdays with entry after 8pm free of charge. This makes Crown one of the cheapest car parks in Ipswich.

It is certainly the best.

A lot of thought has gone into the design.

It is easier to park with generous space allocations and no columns getting in the way. Sections are colour-coded so it is easier to find your way back to your car.

It is designed to be a safe space with plenty of light and no hiding spaces as well as being monitored by CCTV cameras and having staff on site during opening hours to help out.

We have made it easier to pay with the option of contactless card payments.

We have also changed the payment system to “pay on return” so you pay to exit the car park rather than when you get there. This gets round the twin annoyances of paying for a couple of hours but then only needing a few minutes; and having to rush back quicker than you wanted because your ticket is about to run out.

We’re also planning for the future with a number of electric vehicle charging points. For a trial period there will be no additional payment for charging.

At a cost of £5m this is a significant investment by the Borough Council in the town centre. We are determined to improve the quality of parking in Ipswich.

We are currently resurfacing a number of our car parks and working on plans for another new multi-storey car park on Princes Street.