SHOPPERS are literally breathing a sigh of relief after tight car park spaces were made bigger at Basildon’s Eastgate centre.

Centre bosses have spent £1.5million doing up Eastgate’s multi-storey car park in a bid to improve the parking situation, which has left motorists moaning for years.

The bigger and brighter car park has seen parking spaces made 50 per cent wider, improved lighting, two bays with charging points for electric vehicles and a new colourful floor, which has been completely resurfaced.

And centre bosses hope the new-look car park will entice shoppers over Easter, especially as free parking is on offer on Good Friday and Saturday.

Ian Clark, centre manager, said: “The car park was quite old, it was dark and dingy and not a particularly welcoming environment to welcome people to the centre.

“We realised our bays were quite tight to say the least, they were designed for a car in 1985, but cars are nearly twice the size now so we’ve provided more space and made it more comfortable to use.

“Everyone I speak to about the car park has said how fantastic it is to be able to open the doors fully and not bang it into a wall or another car.”

He added: “It looks absolutely fantastic, it’s got a new lease of life.

“It’s much brighter and the parking bays are enormous.”

The car park has space for 650 vehicles and the refurbishments were carried out as part of an 11-month project.