Burslem residents says hospital staff are blocking road
FAMILIES are blaming hospital visitors and staff for clogging up their street with cars.
Residents in Haywood Road, Burslem, say they are struggling to drive up the street because of motorists trying to avoid parking charges at nearby Haywood Hospital.
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PARKING ISSUE: Haywood Hospital.
John Griffiths, aged 60, has lived in Haywood Road all his life and believes the problem started when building work at the the hospital was completed.
He said: "We have two cars and my wife and I find it difficult to get to the house all the time.
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"Patients and staff don't want to pay for parking, so they leave their cars here and walk all the way up.
"This is happening seven days a week and I'm getting sick of it."
Mr Griffiths said that congestion is also bad for Port Vale matches, during services at Burslem Spiritualist Church and at school drop-off times.
He also fears the opening of a late shop, on the site of the Goose Inn pub, will cause further problems.
He said: "People just don't care and park where they want. This is only a minor B road, so it shouldn't be as busy as this."
Clive Bourne, aged 57, who also lives in Haywood Road, said he often has to park further down the street and walk to his house when there are cars parked across his drive.
He said: "First thing in the morning, the traffic comes to a complete standstill because it's so busy.
"We've told the council about this several times but they haven't done anything. My main concern is if anyone on the estate is involved in an accident, the emergency services won't be able to get down here."
Haywood is the largest community hospital in North Staffordshire and has an on-site car park, costing £2 for four hours.
Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Partnership NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, says it asks staff to park considerately and use car parks and public transport where possible.
Paula Furnival, director of operations at the trust, said: "The hospital is very busy at certain times of the day with parking space at a premium, and we appreciate that this can cause some inconvenience for residents.
"There has been extra pressure over the past few months as maintenance work led to part of the car park being closed off. But the works have been completed this week and considerably more spaces have been freed up which we hope will ease the situation."
Families are now calling for permit parking in Haywood Road.
A council spokesman said: "Residents previously asked us to look into whether we could make it easier for them to park by introducing a residential parking scheme.
"At that time any proposal lacked the necessary support of a majority. If residents are still concerned they should contact the council again."
Comments
by cooljay
Saturday, December 15 2012, 8:02AM
“Ask the hospital managers what demand and capacity study was carried out. Ans yep none.
Again poor management with zero ability.
Ask why Tesco's has free parking and always big car parks the answer is if we cannot park we do not shop. Simple easy and logical.
The planning was not even thought about on parking!!!!!
Ask for the car park plans under freedom of info act.”
by Gingerpixie
Friday, December 07 2012, 9:48PM
“me and my colleagues start work at 10am and usually spend around 30 mins daily trying to park every morning but there is not one space available on the car parks at this time, theres cars parked on the grass verges, on double yellow lines and in the bus stop, due to not enough spaces being built when the hospital was rebuilt.
So its not that we want to park on the estate its a fact that we HAVE to, and yes we DO PAY £70 a year to park on the site too!”
by stevenweiss
Friday, December 07 2012, 7:09PM
“Make the hospital car park cheap or free again then. A simple solution to a self-induced problem.”
by Chriss180971
Friday, December 07 2012, 10:18AM
“Its also the same situation in Dunwood Drive opposite the hospital on High lane. The hospital staff park all down one side of that road making it difficult for residents to drive up or down”