A new Bicester park and ride which is hoped to ease congestion over the Christmas period will open to the public on November 30. 

Bicester villagers shoppers will be given access to the site this weekend to avoid the congestion chaos of last year's Black Friday. 

A spokesperson for the Bicester Traffic Action group said: "Black Friday 2014 burned an impression into the memory of every resident who experienced the chaos and gridlock caused by Bicester Village. 

"Traffic came to a standstill, businesses were forced to close early, people were late for work, people couldn't get home and some of us even had our front gardens used as car parks."

Extra traffic measures will be put in place over the weekend and signs have already been put out in the town to notify shoppers that they will be towed if parked illegally.

The facility at Kingsmere near to the A41 at Vendee Drive will provide 580 spaces and is expected to help tackle said congestion. 

Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment David Nimmo Smith “I am delighted that the park and ride site in Bicester is ready before the Christmas period, given how busy Bicester becomes at this time of year.”

Use of the park and ride site is free of charge and will be served daily by the Stagecoach S5 service offering direct links to Bicester and Oxford.

Countryside Properties Ltd provided the land for the scheme while the cost of construction was funded by Bicester Village who will operate a shuttle service through the site during peak trading periods. 

The county council has agreed to the use of the new park and ride for Bicester Village customers this coming weekend including Friday November 27 - or Black Friday - ahead of its official opening date.