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Hospital
Parking – MP wins national review
Salisbury
MP Robert Key has been promised by Baroness Andrews OBE,
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, that following his
representations she has ordered a national review of the
impact on hospital car parking of current planning rules.
Rob Key
said, “Patients,
visitors and staff at Salisbury District Hospital have all
suffered from too few parking places. Patients are late for
appointments and staff are late for work. The hospital has
more space available for parking but the District Council
says under national rules they will treat our Hospital the
same as an out-of-town supermarket.
“That is just
plain silly – and unacceptable. So I am pleased that
the Minister agrees that a dose of common sense is needed.”
Rob
Key added that he was pleased the Council had recently permitted
a further 261 parking places “but they need at least
400”. He said, “I’m not sure the Council
realise that Salisbury District Hospital is by far the largest
single employment site in the District with 2,500 staff on
duty, up to 1000 visiting patients a day and another 1000
visitors. They all need tender loving care, not punishment
for using cars.”
07 Aug 2006
Dear Robert
HOSPITAL CAR PARKING
Thank you for your letter of 25 May to Yvette Cooper on behalf
of several of your constituents, about the planning policy
relevant to car parking in a hospital setting. I am replying
as duty minister.
Policy on non residential car parking generally is laid out
in Planning Policy Guidance Note (PPG) 13 Transport. It is
for planning authorities to set out their policies on parking,
in the Regional Transport Strategy, and in the local transport
plan. For some broad types of development, the Government has,
in Annex D of PPG13, set maximum parking standards, but planning
authorities may adopt more rigorous standards. Where land use
types (such as hospitals) are not covered by PPG13 Annex FD,
it is for the planning authority to set its own standards,
subject to the overall guidance in PPG13.
However, like you, I think that parking requirements for hospitals
are important and I have asked officials to review this to
ensure that PPG13 is not having a detrimental effect on patients.
BARONESS ANDREWS |
