HOMEOWNERS around Wokingham station are cashing in on the closure of Wokingham’s train station car park.

Residents are using the closure to make up to £2,000 a year by renting out their car parks to desperate commuters.

Since the station car park closure was first announced earlier this year the number of people with spaces for sale has nearly doubled.

Across the town 25 spaces are up for rent with prices ranging from £3.80 to £7.50 for a day.

One woman who rents out her parking space is Celia Waterkeyn. She said she signed up to JustPark around four years ago but only started actively renting out her parking space a spare space on her drive out around a year ago.

“There’s a few spaces in the area,” she said.

“I live on my own and have two parking places," she said. "The station car park closure is the reason a lot of people are using JustPark.

“It’s safer than just street parking.”

The website charges people a flat rate when the space is being rented but says some people can make up to £2,000 a year.

Wokingham station car park shut for four weeks on Monday, March 28, whilst South West Trains carry out improvements to the car park including adding a second storey with 200 more spaces as well as improving lighting.

To provide for the displaced commuters Wokingham Borough Council opened car parks at Wellington House on Elms Road as well as using space on the Elms Field tennis courts for staff parking to free up spaces in the Paddocks.

The council also delayed closing the existing car park at Carnival Pool. Planning permission to build a nine floor multi-storey was granted last year with work expected to start get under way in the coming months.