Handbrake on plans to extend parking at Raigmore Hospital
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PLANS for extra car parking at an already overstretched Raigmore Hospital have been parked as health bosses say they simply cannot afford to do anything at the moment.
There was delight two weeks ago when Highland Council approved plans for new car parks at the busy hospital site.
The plan to cure parking problems was going to formalise an existing overflow car park next to the hospital’s maternity centre and turn another two open-ground areas into new overspill sites.
Currently the hospital has 900 spaces outside the hospital and 200 for overflow and staff accommodation.
Pressure for spaces has seen motorists abandon vehicles on grassy areas and in concourses outwith bays. Some people have complained about being late for appointments and the situation adding a layer of anxiety to their hospital visit.
Others have suggested some motorists have been leaving vehicles there before using public transport to go elsewhere – including on holiday.
The overspill car parks would have had 400 parking spaces between them, 250 of which would be new.
It was previously reported that funds for 150 car parking spaces were earmarked in the NHS capital fund in March.
But NHS Highland said financial pressures mean the plans will have to be "revisited" in the next financial year, which begins in April.
Katherine Sutton, deputy director of operations for Raigmore Hospital, expressed regret that the work will not be happening sooner.
"We know the car park at Raigmore is not big enough for the amount of traffic that comes onto site each week and we are disappointed that we will not be able to take forward this piece of work this year," she said.
"I have personally heard about the extra stress that is placed upon patients and visitors when they are trying to find a space and I am sorry that we are not able to take this forward but, given the current financial climate, it is just not possible. We will continue to manage car parking on the site as best as we can."
She pointed to work being done to allow outpatients to have some appointments via video conferencing as one way of trying to cut down on the number of individual visits to the hospital.
And she added: "We would also like to remind people that the car park is only to be used by those who have business at the hospital.
"We do monitor the site where possible but would ask that if anyone witnesses abuse of the car park they alert our security staff so we can take appropriate action."
Petitions with more than 1000 signatures were previously presented to NHS Highland calling for action on parking.
Inverness Millburn councillor Ian Brown was among those who had welcomed the granting of planning permission for new car parking.
He said surrounding streets were being impacted by the lack of sufficient spaces at the hospital as staff and visitors were forced to find alternatives.
Yesterday he called news of the delay "disappointing" but said that, as an electrician who works at the hospital, he also understood the pressure NHS Highland was under.
"I know the financial situation they are facing and obviously, while parking is needed, I wouldn’t want to see patient care being compromised to pay for it," he said.
Inverness MSP Fergus Ewing had also supported moves for new parking at Raigmore.
In a similar vein to Mr Brown, he said: "I welcome the commitment of the NHS to the new parking and understand that these things do take time to deliver."
Prior to approval, the car park application received one objection from a local resident who said: "Building cannot continue to spread. I am astounded by the lack of planning and common sense."
She had called for a multi-storey car park and pay and display machines instead.
