Hospital Plans and Parking

The Hospital Trust has now submitted a planning application to the council and can be viewed at the Civic Centre online or on the City Council website here. (If you need to search online for the application the reference number is: 09/00997/FUL).

The plans for expansion of the hospital were presented at a public exhibition at the hospital last month and briefly include conversion of existing buildings for admin and clinical use and the construction of a new 138-bed ward block. The plans also include the creation of 139 new car parking spaces.

Documents submitted to the council as part of the planning application acknowledge the issue of a lack of parking on the hospital site and the parking problems in the surrounding area as a result of this. However, they repeatedly dismiss the idea of building a new multi-storey car park. Interestingly, following the exhibition and public consultation, most of the comments received by the hospital trust from residents mention the problems with parking and many of them suggest that a multi-storey on the site would be the solution. This also seemed to be the consensus at the public meeting held last month.

The Councils’ own study has revealed that the biggest problem with on-street parking is caused by hospital staff who often park outside residents front doors for up to 12 hours each day (this has been over 24 hours on numerous occasions). Currently the hospital employs 4,244 staff and this will increase to 4,304. The total number of car parking spaces (including disabled spaces) is currently 1,130 increasing to 1,269 after the redevelopment (all figures have been taken from planning application form). While some staff will be working shifts, the majority will be onsite between 9am-5pm Monday- Friday, as local residents can testify. There is therefore an obvious massive shortfall in the number of spaces required, even before taking into consideration the requirements of patients and visitors.

Residents have until Wednesday 8th April to send their comments to the council (some residents in the roads overlooking the hospital will have received a letter from the council about this inviting their comments).

If you have been affected or feel that you will be affected by these parking issues and object to the lack of parking spaces at the hospital, why don’t you have your say? Anyone can comment on the plans in any the following ways:

Following this link will take you directly to the relevant page to leave your comments: Click Here to go direct to the council planning website

Or you can Email: dc@sunderland.gov.uk

Or write to: Head of Planning and Environment, PO Box 102, Civic Centre, Sunderland. SR2 7DN

Quote the planning reference on any letter/email: 09/00997/FUL

Tell the planning department what you think.