WORK on a new bus station for Stanley will start soon, council officials said.

Contractors for Derwentside District Council will move on to the Mary Street car park in the town this month, to begin work on the £3m bus station project.

A public notice has gone up warning shoppers and residents that the 54-space car park is to be closed from the New Year.

Peter Reynolds, the council's head of environmental services said: "We are waiting until the New Year so that the car park could be used by shoppers in the Christmas rush."

He said that the service road running behind Front Street that is used by heavy goods vehicles would be kept open, but there would be no extra car parking provision to accommodate the loss of Mary Street.

"When the road is stopped up, the car park will cease to exist," he said.

"Our car parking study identified that there should be sufficient spaces left in Stanley to pick up the slack.

"It clearly highlighted that the prime car parking spaces closest to the town centre are being taken up by people who are working in the shops. That is something that we have to address."

The bus station is due to be completed in October. Part of the scheme will see several commercial properties in Front Street flattened, to create a pedestrian arcade linking the station to the town's main shopping area.

Businesses affected include William Hill's bookmakers, Bennett's estate agents and Rob Craig's Tattoo Parlour.

Earlier this month, it was revealed that Derwentside Primary Care Trust hopes to create a health centre on the former bus station site.

It is one of four bids for the site and the successful body will be announced soon.