A MAJOR £1.5m scheme to ease traffic congestion in a popular coastal town has been approved despite local concerns.

The North York Moors National Park Authority has approved a plan for a park and ride scheme for Whitby with a linked 450 space car park.

The North Yorkshire County Council plan aims to ease the traffic congestion faced by Whitby each year from tourism.

The scheme falls just within the national park’s boundary and it was approved at the authority’s planning committee last week.

It will be built at the junction of the A171 and the B1460 to the west of the town and will provide a service to West Cliff and the town centre bus station.

It is envisaged that mainly only 200 spaces will be used with the other 250 in place to cater for busy days.

County councillor John Fort, executive member for business and environmental services, said: "This is extremely good news for both the people of Whitby and its visitors.

"While we do not pretend that a park and ride will solve all the traffic problems in the centre of the town, we believe it will make a big difference.

"Officers of the county council will now be seeking to acquire the necessary land and undertake the detailed design, before letting the contract to construct the car park so that it can be opened as soon as possible."

The park wants the facility to run from 8am to 6pm from April 1 to 30 and October 1 to 31; 7am to 9pm from May 1 to September 30 and 8.30am to 5pm from November 1 to March 31.

Several locals criticised the scheme stating amongst other reasons that the location inside the park was wrong.