THE diggers are out at County Hall - turning part of the massive council HQ into a pile of rubble to finally extend the car parking.

After months of concern over workers parking in and around Spetchley Road, Worcestershire County Council is making serious efforts to ease the problem.

An army of builders have now started work on tearing up unused land next to the main entrance, digging up the ground to create 164 extra parking spaces in a seven-week project.

As your Worcester News revealed earlier this year, more and more council staff have relocated to the headquarters in recent months due to other sites being closed down.

There are currently 2,300 staff who work at County Hall, but fewer than 800 on-site parking spaces.

The number of employees based at the headquarters has rocketed by 43 per cent since January, when it was 1,600, leading to nearby residents in Spetchley Road and Kilbury Drive saying they were inundated by cars looking to park up.

Conservative councillors at the authority say they are determined to be "a good neighbour" and put an end to the concerns.

The builders will complete the job by mid-October, with two car parks around the complex being extended to create room for the extra spaces.

Councillor John Campion, cabinet member for transformation and commissioning said: "The County Hall campus car park extension is due for completion in mid-October and will create an additional 164 spaces for staff and visitors.

"The additional spaces are being created as the campus needs to be accessible as a multi-purpose venue for the future, to support public services and businesses across Worcestershire.

"We also want to be a good neighbour and minimise staff parking on residential streets around the campus.

"There are 682 spaces at County Hall on five different car parks, and another 96 reserved in a section of Worcester Woods Country Park during term time only as an alternative option for staff.

Employees can park on-site for up to four days per week, or if they live within two kilometres of the site, just three days.