Four-storey car park plan for QA

A NEW multi-storey car park could be built at Queen Alexandra Hospital as part of wider regeneration plans.

Portsmouth councillors are today set to consider proposals for a four-storey car park on the northern side of the existing north car park, which is reached from Harvey Road.

If approved the structure will provide a total of 541 car parking spaces and six motorcycle spaces, and it will connect to a new 72-bed ward - that was given planning permission in December - by a link bridge at first floor level. As reported, plans for a new £58m emergency department at QA at the hospital are also in the works – although a planning application has not yet been submitted.

A spokesman for Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust said: 'Our plans to create additional car parking spaces form part of a wider programme of work to develop the Queen Alexandra Hospital site to provide improved facilities for our patients, their families and our colleagues.

Currently there are 801 public parking spaces and 1,411 staff car parking spaces across the hospital site.

On completion of the three developments the numbers of parking spaces are set to reduce by 98.

That’s the equivalent to an increase of 247 public spaces, and a decrease of 345 staff spaces.

It is planned the reduction in staff parking will be met by use of the hospital's nearby Fort Southwick park and ride that has 992 parking spaces - of which around 450 available spaces are not used on a daily basis.