AFC Bournemouth officially opened their new car park to draw to a planning saga with council chiefs to a close.

Football club chairman Eddie Mitchell said he was “dismayed” last year when he came up with funding to resurface the council car park next to the Goldsands Stadium but councillors refused planning permission.

Bournemouth council’s planning committee raised drainage concerns, fears over a loss of spaces and congestion on nearby roads.

They deferred a decision the second time round pending consultations with the Environment Agency amid fears that the plans could disturb contaminated land at the site.

But planning was finally granted and now the mayors from Poole and Bournemouth have cut the ribbon on the extra parking space at Kings Park.

Rob Mitchell, commercial director at the football club, said using the new spaces provided 400 resurfaced and marked out car park spaces.

He said: “It’s great for the football club that we’ve got these car parking facilities for supporters on a match day.

“We can offer a huge amount of parking spaces for visitors.

“Before this it was a very gravelly and potholed car park so it was not a great place for people use.

“But now it’s all properly resurfaced with and has car parking bays so it’s a much better facility for home and away fans.”

The car park will be operated by the council as normal except on AFC Bournemouth match days, when the football club will use it as an additional car park.

Cllr Philip Stanley-Watts, mayor of Bournemouth, praised the club for its community work and charitable fundraising.

He said: “The car park is part of the great facilities they have at the stadium.”