Good news for yachtsmen considering a berth at Ocean Village in Southampton: the marina owners, MDL, have announced this afternoon that they have won the 2008 Car Park of the Year award.

Not for MDL, urine-smelling, tin lifts which scrape slowly between floors of oil-stained, cast in-situ concrete: their new car park was ‘recognised for the innovative design and quality of infrastructure as well as the environmental considerations.’

Good old MDL their car park hasn’t got the remains of scraped plastic bumpers on every tight exit-ramp bend: ‘the contemporary facility utilises revolutionary design, exceptional attention to detail and the latest car park architecture.’

Hooray for MDL, their carpark is no crack dealer’s high rise: ‘ Features include easy to navigate parking spaces, convenient payment systems, enhanced lighting in all areas.’

Let’s hear it for MDL, their carpark does not suffer dreary views of post-Luftwaffe Southampton, but ‘stunning lobbies with spectacular view points and feature windows, as well as state-of-the-art security throughout.’

Congratulations MDL, not for you a mugger’s paradise, for your car park ‘boasts Park Mark(®) status through the Safer Parking Scheme. The sight of the Park Mark sign at the entrance to any car park inspires confidence and reassurance for the driver that they are entering a parking area where measures are in place to help deter and prevent criminal activity and antisocial behaviour.’

Now, if there’s still a chance of dragging your customers away from this Hyundai Hilton, how about the marina?