ALBION fans will have a new and improved stadium car park to use after club officials resolved a long-running lease negotiation.

Brighton and Hove Albion officials have agreed a deal in principle with landowner Matthew Bennett to allow the club to use the Bennett’s Field car park next to the American Express Community Stadium after months of delay.

The site, which has capacity for 524 cars, has been out of bounds for Seagulls supporters throughout this season as the two parties failed reach an agreement over a renewal of the initial three-year lease that expired last summer.

The club said lawyers have now been instructed to draw up a lease to cover the new deal and, once signed, work will begin to upgrade the car park.

Club officials said the work is unlikely to be completed until the summer and so fans would have to wait until next season to see it brought back into use.

The club was granted planning permission by Lewes District Council last summer to make amendments to the layout of spaces on the 1.5 hectare site and install 12m floodlights.

Club officials said details of the lease deal would be kept confidential but it was intended arrangements would provide a long-term solution to parking next to the stadium.

The club said plans to build a four star 150-bedroom hotel were unaffected by the delays in agreeing a new lease for Bennett’s Field. The proposed site for the hotel is currently in use as car parking and the club remains in negotiations with landowners Brighton and Hove City Council over a lease for the site as well as negotiating contracts with a hotel operator.

Officials said as soon as both contracts were signed off, the club would start work on preparing a planning application to be submitted to Lewes District Council.

Writing in the club’s programme on Saturday, chief executive Paul Barber said: “I’m pleased to confirm that we have reached an agreement in principle for the long-term use of Bennett’s Field.

“This near-site car park will now be completely redesigned to accommodate our plans for the stadium hotel and also to improve post-match traffic flows.”