Plans for an £8m congestion-busting park and ride scheme in one of the region's best loved cities will be unveiled to the public today.

Durham County Council plans to build three car parks on the outskirts where people can park and ride by bus into the city centre.

The £8.3m Government-funded scheme is the final phase in the council's attempt to ease congestion that has seen the introduction of on-street parking charges and the toll road in Saddler Street.

The park and ride centres will be built at the A1(M)/A690 interchange at Carrville, Howlands Farm, next to Durham University in South Road, and at Sniperley, at the junction of the A167/A691.

Carrville already has planning permission and funding although work has not started because the land sale is still being negotiated.

Planning permission has yet to be won for the other two sites.

The idea is that visitors, shoppers and workers, will park for free at the sites and travel into the centre by bus.

Each site will hold around 400 vehicles and have waiting rooms toilets facilities and reserved spaces for the disabled.

Work should start next spring and the facilities should start to open from the later part of 2004.

Detailed plans and proposals for the schemes at Howlands Farm and Sniperley can be seen at County Hall tomorrow, Thursday and Friday from 9.30am to 4.30pm and on Saturday until 12.30pm.