HOSPITAL TO KEEP FREE PARKING FOR TIME BEING
HALTON Hospital has said parking is to remain free for the time being as it launched a review into how to cope with rising demand for spaces.
The site’s parent trust suspended parking charges in March at the start of lockdown.
A Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WHH) spokeswoman said there are “no immediate plans” to reinstate the fee.
She said pressure on spaces has begun to mount again at Warrington Hospital, which experienced a massive 11.6% in vehicle movements in 2019, rising to 1.47m comings and goings.
The spokeswoman said there were around 1,900 cars on site at any one time, far beyond its space for 1,400.
Parking issues are beginning to return to Halton Hospital in Runcorn too, she said.
The trust’s parking charge regime sparked long-running controversy in 2015 over inadequate signage and drivers being wrongly recorded as having parked when they had been passing through and not parked up.
WHH said Warrington car park had been abused by drivers who used it as a base for walking to other locations such as the town centre instead of having any reason to visit the hospital.
The case was less clear at Halton Hospital, whose neighbouring shopping district has free parking throughout.
With lockdown now easing and traffic levels rising, WHH is consulting staff over how to adapt.
Reflecting on last year’s 11.6% traffic increase, the spokeswoman said: “In a post-Covid world another increase like this will see the site become at risk.
“In addition, environmental concerns about vehicle use has a much stronger platform post-lockdown.
“We need to act now to resolve these long standing parking issues which generate such angst and negative feedback from patients, visitors and staff and affect everyone’s experience and perceptions of our hospitals.
“To this end, we are launching a trust-wide exercise throughout September to involve our staff in helping suggest and shortlist permanent solutions to our car parking situation.
“We will then take the shortlist further to our patients, public and stakeholders for further input.
“To reiterate, this engagement work is about spaces not charges.”