Hospital parking plight set to continue

5:10pm Sunday 21st October 2012 in News

THE row over hospital staff and visitors clogging up residential streets by parking for free is set to continue for more than a year.

Earlier this year, 220 residents around Colchester General Hospital were asked for their preferred way to stop the problem but after a 21-day consultation, no potential scheme attracted enough support.

It had been feared the saga would continue for another three years but a second survey, carried out one couple, showed overwhelming support to introduce residents parking permits after asking just two questions; to introduce permits or to do nothing.

As a result, parking officials have agreed to revisit the problem in March.

FOR THE FULL STORY, SEE MONDAY'S GAZETTE

Comments(9)

meadowlady says...
6:48pm Sun 21 Oct 12

Build a multi-storey car park. The hospital would do just that if the Planning Department played ball. I also believe the hospital trust has land available which would be suitable. It would be good if, just for once, common sense prevailed.

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Say It As It Is OK? says...
7:39pm Sun 21 Oct 12

Totally agree with Meadowlady but the problem is many people don't want to pay to park at the hospital for various reasons, mainly the high cost of parking, they choose to park on the narrow residential roads as close to the hospital as they can get.

Exactly the same thing happens around Mile End on match days where supporters don't or won't pay to use the club car park.

The answer is either accept motorists have a right to park (as long as they don't obstruct access) or the council should take the matter more seriously and introduce residents only permits.

Cheaper hospital and stadium parking could also help!

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peachey says...
7:54pm Sun 21 Oct 12

I agree with both posters. No one wants to worry if they have gone over their paid time when their loved ones are ill or even dying, it's a worrying time as it is, and also the people who's appointments run late through no fault of their own, it's so unfair to take that extortionate amount of money from patients and their loved ones, it's disgusting

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Pause says...
7:55pm Sun 21 Oct 12

Say It As It Is OK? wrote:
Totally agree with Meadowlady but the problem is many people don't want to pay to park at the hospital for various reasons, mainly the high cost of parking, they choose to park on the narrow residential roads as close to the hospital as they can get.

Exactly the same thing happens around Mile End on match days where supporters don't or won't pay to use the club car park.

The answer is either accept motorists have a right to park (as long as they don't obstruct access) or the council should take the matter more seriously and introduce residents only permits.

Cheaper hospital and stadium parking could also help!
As a result, parking officials have agreed to revisit the problem in March, when the Turner Road hospital’s new radiotherapy centre is built.

Err, that will be early 2014 "when the hospital’s new radiotherapy centre is built".

PS Where would the money come from to build a multi-storey car park - car park charges, possibly? People need to get out of their cars...

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Boris says...
1:59am Mon 22 Oct 12

It is largely the result of too many services being concentrated on one site. The radiotherapy unit should be left where it is, at Essex County Hospital.
Having said that, we all have the right to park wherever there are no restrictions, provided of course we don't obstruct entrances. Whenever I park in Kingswood Road, I take good care to park where my car will not be in anyone's way.

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KA-Wivenhoe says...
9:29am Mon 22 Oct 12

QUOTE: ........People need to get out of their cars...”

Sorry, but you need to get real - that will just never happen.

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Mr Honest says...
10:03am Mon 22 Oct 12

By bringing in permits, it just enhances the income for Colchester Borough Council. The problem isnt that bad on the streets. The snobby residents have to accept that if there are no lines then anyone can park outside there house as long as they arent causing obstruction. Most of Turner Road doesnt have lines and people could park there but they dont.

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romantic says...
12:36pm Mon 22 Oct 12

The fact that apparently not enough people replied does suggest that it´s not such a big issue. People get obsessed by these things, but it seems that most of the area isn´t that badly affected.

I do agree that the parking costs at the hospital are high, and become even worse if you have to come and go 2 or 3 times in the day. We had to do that last year for several weeks, and it seriously adds up.

If there had been a big response saying this parking issue was a problem, then residents´permits would have to be the way, but maybe those residents who are bothered by it will just have to continue to tolerate the fact that people can park on a public road.

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totallyfootball says...
12:43pm Mon 22 Oct 12

Mr Honest wrote:
By bringing in permits, it just enhances the income for Colchester Borough Council. The problem isnt that bad on the streets. The snobby residents have to accept that if there are no lines then anyone can park outside there house as long as they arent causing obstruction. Most of Turner Road doesnt have lines and people could park there but they dont.
I take exception to the title snobby residents, there is plenty of places along Turner Road to park so why congest the side roads and prevent residents and their visitors from access? There is loads of wasted ground in the hospital that could be used for parking or perhaps they should have built it on the Severalls Hospital grounds in the first place?

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