A new car park is due to open on the site of the former Civic Centre in Ipswich in time for Easter.

The park, which will have more than 60 spaces, will be linked to the existing surface car parks and will also have an entrance next to that of the spiral underground park.

It had been due to open in time for Christmas – but problems with the work on the ground have meant that it has been delayed.

Once the car park is completed, owners Charterhouse will refurbish the other two surface parks in the area and will then carry out major refurbishment on the underground car park which was built in the 1960s.

That will be closed for about three weeks while it is updated – and once all the car park work is completed, attention will switch to creating the “Theatre Square” in front of the New Wolsey.

Meanwhile Ipswich council is expected to make a planning application to turn the former police station site into a new temporary car park during April.

If this application is successful it is expected to open by the late summer.

Ipswich council leader David Ellesmere said: “The important thing is that although our car park, and the one on the Civic Centre site, are both temporary – up to five years – they will be of a high quality with good lighting and security.

“We are anxious to ensure we get more high-quality car parking in the town centre and by doing this we will start look harder at applications for parks that are not such quality.”