A NEW car park is due to be built in a Hampshire village to ease congestion in the main street.

A 25-space facility for residents and traders will be created on land off Beaulieu High Street, opposite Fairweathers Garden Centre.

Beaulieu has a narrow, one-way High Street, which means cars often have to squeeze between vehicles parked on both sides of the road.

The car park scheme was devised by the Beaulieu Estate and approved by the New Forest National Park Authority in 2018.

Once the facility is built the local parish council is likely to ask Hampshire County Council to shorten waiting times in the High Street.

The move would result in a more rapid turnover of spaces, giving traders a boost in the wake of the Covid crisis.

A Beaulieu Estate spokesperson said: "Groundworks will hopefully begin in the next two or three weeks, subject to weather conditions.

"The Estate has submitted a second planning application to move the entrance of the car park a little closer to the neighbouring Patrick’s Patch, but work on the car park will still be able to start, as the existing entrance a short distance further up the high street will be used in the meantime.

"The plan is to finish as soon as possible so it will be in use by the summer."

Lord Montagu of Beaulieu referred to the scheme in this annual speech in November last year.

He said: "A new private car park is to be constructed in part of Hayward’s Field for residents and traders, freeing up on-street spaces for people who, we hope, will make more use of the shops.

"My gratitude to the Beaulieu Beaufort Foundation for funding the capital costs."