Transport bosses at County Hall have identified land for new facilities at Riversway, Penwortham and off junction 31 of the M6 at Samlesbury.

A report on Preston's transport future has been put together by London-based transport planning consultants Transport Planning Practice. It state that the sites will become reality "if future demand dictates."

Latest figures show there are more than 212,000 cars and vans in Central Lancashire – more than 52,000 in Preston alone – and traffic in Lancashire increased by 22% between 1993 and 2007.

Visitor numbers to Preston are expected to soar after the completion of the city's £700m Tithebarn regeneration, scheduled for 2014.

The report states there will be 15,539 visitors to the city centre each weekday, 24,862 on a Saturday and 17,870 on Sundays when the regeneration is finished.

Coun Anthony Gornall, Preston Council's regeneration chief, says LCC recognises the importance of Tithebarn for Preston.

"A key part of it is ensuring we have good, well-serviced park and rides. What we will be looking for in the future is for people who work in the Tithebarn area to have somewhere to park so they can get into the city centre easily."

The report comes just days after proposals for another new park-and-ride close to the Phantom Winger pub and junction 32 of the M6 at Broughton were announced.

That site will contain up to 1,400 spaces and cater for traffic heading from north Lancashire and the M55 into Preston, ad could include car-share facilities for people travelling longer distances on the motorway.

Ray Worthington, LCC's group manager for transport planning, said: "We are looking at a park-and-share for people who want to car share to places such as Manchester and Liverpool.

"People would pay a certain amount to leave their cars there all day."

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