CIVIC chiefs in Winchester have agreed to roll out the city's park-and-ride service to Romsey Road as an experiment.

The Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Winchester Prison and University College Winchester have been pushing city bosses for the facility to help solve parking problems in Romsey Road.

City bosses have agreed to provide a link from the Bar End park-and-ride as a temporary measure, although plans have been mooted for a permanent park-and-ride for the Romsey Road end of the city, to be built in the Bushfield area.

The experimental service will run during peak hours and be funded by city and county councils to the tune of £55,000. It is hoped the service will attract 50 users a day, which will be needed to justify a permanent service.

In order to cover the cost of a permanent bus service, the park-and-ride link will need about 300 extra users a day.

City chiefs said this was a step in the right direction but they hoped to see a permanent park-and-ride site at the Romsey Road end of the city.

Simon Eden, chief executive of the city council, said: "This is a step towards improving transport rather than a solution."

Councillor Sheila Campbell, chairman of the council's Cabinet, added: "A second park-and-ride to serve the Romsey Road side is going to be required in the next year but county are telling us we will have to wait three years.

"They should have started two years ago then."

The experimental service is likely to start in February and run for between six and nine months.

If the service is successful there will be pressure for a permanent service, which the council could end up subsidising at an estimated cost of about £75,000 a year.

Council officers warned city chiefs there was currently no provision for this cash in the budget.