A SOUTHAMPTON hospital has submitted an application that aims to help patients by preventing any repetition of the parking problems seen in the past.
Spire Hospital has applied for planning permission to continue using a former animal shelter site at Warren Avenue as a car park for almost 70 staff.
It comes after a shortage of parking bays at the hospital in Chalybeate Close was found to be causing "undue stress" for patients.
Spire Healthcare decided to provide an off-site car park for employees and in 2017 was given consent to use the Warren Avenue land for five years.
The application says: "Temporary permission was granted due to the site forming part of a wider site which is allocated for housing.
"At the time there was nothing to suggest the site would come forward for housing development in the short to medium term. On this basis planning officers raised no objections.
"Each space is allocated to a specific member of staff to avoid too many vehicles entering the site.
"The car park has been operating since 2018 and has not received any complaints from neighbours, nor have there been any incidents or accidents attributed to it.
"During this time it has played a significant role in improving the experience of patients by increasing capacity at the main hospital site."
Now Spire Healthcare is seeking consent to use the Warren Avenue site for a further five years.
The application says: "Spire Southampton has been part of Southampton for many years, originally opening in the 1980s, and is a major employer within the city.
"Recent investments have included a new £1.5m CT scanner which will help alleviate pressure on waiting lists.
"The hospital works closely with the NHS and Southampton General Hospital, caring for over 50,000 NHS patients between March 2020 and March 2021 during the pandemic, providing cancer care and other surgery.
"The staff car parking at Warren Avenue has supported Spire Hospital to deliver a high-quality patient experience.
"It does this by reducing parking pressure at the main hospital site, improving capacity for patients and visitors, reducing the stress associated with travelling to hospital."
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