PLANS to end car parking misery for hundreds of Bolton commuters and residents could be finalised by December.

The breakthrough comes as rows holding up improvements to Lostock station look set to be resolved.

Disputes between the public and private sector have dogged discussions about long-standing problems at the station, particularly the dire shortage of parking spaces.

Residents have inundated police with complaints about commuters using busy Regent Road as an overspill car park. And police have carried out a series of fixed penalty parking ticket swoops in a bid to deter drivers.

Solutions floundered because Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority was reluctant to use public money for schemes that benefited the private sector.

Now the authority have told Labour MP Ruth Kelly that they believe railway privatisation has settled down enough for them to proceed with improvements. GMPTE are now in talks with Railtrack and North Western Trains to tackle the problems at Lostock and other stations in Bolton and Wigan.

A study has begun and experts will report back with detailed proposals in the autumn.

The newly elected Bolton West MP said she was delighted when GMPTE told her their plans to attract more car users to stations such as Lostock include better car parking facilities.

Mrs Kelly said: "Hopefully this will go some way to solving the problem. I am glad to see that the three groups working closely together in the interests of local residents and train users.

"We need to increase the number of people using public transport and encourage them to keep their cars out of the town centres which is why this announcement is so important."

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