YORK Hospital is set to build a new temporary car park for staff who have lost their usual parking spaces because of construction work.

Subsidised bus travel might also be provided for staff to support sustainable transport.

The hospital's trust has submitted a planning application to City of York Council to create an additional 57 parking bays in a new additional parking area to the south of
the existing temporary car park on Bootham Park Court and on the site of the now demolished Bootham Park Court Residences.

An application document says the trust has conducted a full review of all car parks on site due to 'significant issues' facing it with traffic flow out onto external roads around the hospital site. 

It says the hospital has seen the loss of approximately 180 staff car parking spaces because of ongoing construction works to extend its emergency & ICU departments.

The trust intends to increase the temporary gravel car park capacity by a further 80 spaces to prevent staff needing to park within the hospital's multi storey car park, which directly affects patient and visitor parking.

"The trust are also in contact with other external suppliers to discuss additional sustainable transport methods to support our sustainability agenda, with subsidised bus travel on the top of the agenda, in addition to increasing the secure cycle storage on site.

"Egress from the newly proposed car park will be located to the south of the site on the existing access road to Bootham Park Hospital and utilising the entry/exit of the existing temporary car park. This means no new roads will need to be created for vehicles to access the parking."

The document says the proposed car park, like the existing temporary car park, will use a permeable finish / substrate, with temporary markings to designate the bays for parking as a means of maintaining correct distances so that navigating a vehicle in the carpark is possible.

It says a number of trees surround the site but they will remain in place with further consideration being taken in order to prevent any damage to the trees.

The Press has reported previously how York Hospital's emergency department is undergoing a £15 million redevelopment, which includes a new two-storey extension, an eight bedded resuscitation area, 12 new assessment and treatment cubicles, where staff will meet patients as soon as they arrive, and a dedicated safe room for mental health patients.

There would also be a new infectious diseases cubicle that includes a testing laboratory and glazed cubicles for privacy and infection control.

Officials said the work would inevitably cause some disruption but would create extra space and facilities, as well as a better working environment.