VISITORS heading to Swindon for the Great Western Brick Show at the weekend will be encouraged to use a temporary park and ride at the closed Wroughton Park facility.

Swindon Borough Council is opening the park and ride just north of the M4 for the weekend to relieve traffic congestion near the Steam Museum in Rodbourne

The free service will depart from Wroughton at 9am on Saturday taking 15 minutes to get to the museum and shuttle back and forth until 6:40pm

On Sunday, the service will set run at 20 minute intervals from 9am until 6:40pm, except at noon and 4pm when there will be an interval of one hour.

Councillor Gary Sumner, the council's cabinet member for strategic planning, said: “We expect the Brick Show to be a hugely popular event and we have put this measure in place to ensure congestion is kept to an absolute minimum.

“We are aware of the traffic problems that occur in Rodbourne when events are held at the STEAM Museum and this Council is committed to finding solutions that work for everyone.

“I would fully encourage people to use the park and ride service as it is free and will get you there in no time at all.”

Hundreds of residents in Rodbourne signed a petition earlier this year asking the council to find a solution to congestions in their streets caused by cars queueing to get into the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet and the museum.

Local councillor Jim Robbins tweeted: “I would encourage visitors to use it, as traffic around the event is traditionally awful.”

The massively popular Brick Event,