Trust rejects plans for multi-storey car park at St Mary's Hospital

ANY plan for a multi-storey car park at a hospital site has been rejected.

Solent NHS Trust told the Portsmouth health overview and scrutiny panel (Hosp) the extra spaces would not be an option at St Mary’s Hospital in Milton.

But the trust did say talks are on-going with Portsmouth FC for staff to use 105 spaces at the club’s car park outside Fratton Park.

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At previous Hosp meetings, members had asked if a multi-storey car park was an option to provide more on-site parking after an application was submitted.

An outline application had been submitted to Portsmouth City Council in 2015 by Solent for a three-storey car park at St Mary’s.

But it was withdrawn with no further details or proposals submitted.

But, addressing the panel yesterday, Geoff Lewis, estates programme manager at Solent, said it was not being considered.

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‘Looking at it, it would cost between £2m and £3m capital if we wanted to build a multi-storey car park at St Mary’s,’ Mr Lewis said.

‘We have not put aside money in our budget for that kind of capital.

‘The parking controls we have implemented to improve the situation at the site are working really well.

‘They have resolved the previous issues over parking at the site.

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‘We have reached a really good place so we won’t be building a multi-storey car park.’

Concerns had been raised at the meeting by Councillor Lynne Stagg over the distance between the parking at Fratton Park and the hospital site that patients would have to walk.

Members also asked about match days when Pompey were playing at home.

Mr Lewis added: ‘There is a clause which says the spaces will not be available on match days, but they are mainly on weekends and evenings so we don’t see it having an impact.

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‘The additional 105 spaces will be for staff and not patients. It will make sure there is parking on-site for the patients.’

The proposals with Pompey have been put before the Solent board for review.

Staff already have some spaces off-site after Solent agreed to pay for spaces at the former Kingston Prison site.

They can use the additional 60 spaces after the two-year agreement made in October, 2015.

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