A CAR park in Chippenham will close for 11 months as plans to build a multi-storey replacement are going ahead.

Sadlers Mead, next to the Olympiad Leisure Centre, will be shut from January 10 as construction of the new car park, which will increase spaces from 165 to 237, begins.

There will also be 12 electric car charging points installed initially.

During the building work, the Emery Gate car park, which has a total of 342 spaces, will be open earlier from 6am-10pm daily to accommodate those needing to park early.

Cllr Bridget Wayman, cabinet member for Highways, said: “Chippenham is a thriving town with exciting economic opportunities. This investment will help provide more car parking spaces in our growing town, including electric car parking spaces with scope for more for the future.

“We have put plans in place to ensure there is sufficient car parking elsewhere in the town while this essential work takes place and we thank motorists for their patience during this time. We look forward to sharing with them our much-improved car parking spaces in the future.”

The car park work will take place alongside the building of new headquarters for Good Energy, which is next door. Good Energy’s new offices, currently in design development, will include cycle parking, solar panels and battery storage, with 40 parking spaces for the office building at ground level.