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The new charges range from £3 for two hours, £5 for four hours, £8 for six hours to £16 for up to 24 hours.

In the evening visitors will only have to pay £2.50 after 6pm for up to 12 hours in the new car park.

On Sundays, the rates are reduced with four hours costing £2.50, eight hours costing £5 and up to 24 hours costing £16.

Steve Wurle from the Bristol Alliance says the car park will be big enough to cope with the estimated 20 million visitors per year.

"2,500 spaces is a lot different from 20 million people per year and there's more than one person per car.

"The other thing to say is we're talking about a genuine choice of transport and the buses will play their part, the park and rides will play their part.

"And lastly I would also argue that the spaces in Bristol is not just Cabot Circus car park that will serve Cabot Circus - it's the total car parking in Bristol which is 9-10,000 spaces.

"It's exactly the same number available at Milton Keynes shopping centre which is built for the car."