As residents are aware, I have long campaigned for improvements in the parking situation at Ninewells Hospital, including campaigning against parking charges at the hospital (that Scottish Government, despite SNP election promises, has failed to abolish), difficulties getting parked in the Vinci Park-operated car parks in the hospital grounds, and the overspill of cars that impact upon residential streets in the West End Ward to the east and south of the hospital area.
Following a spate of further complaints from staff and visitors (both out-patients and friends and relatives visiting in-patients) about difficulties finding a parking space at the hospital, I wrote to NHS Tayside recently asking if Vinci Park and NHS Tayside are aware of these difficulties, monitor the growth of car usage within the hospital site and have considered future provision of further car parking capacity.
I have received a detailed response from NHS Tayside's Head of Site and Support Services at Ninewells Hospital as follows :
"In respect of the issues around car parking I can advise that we are indeed experiencing our annual/seasonal high pressure on parking at the hospital and we do keep a close eye on the varying demands by close monitoring with the car park contractor Vinci Park.
I have confidence that the changes we mad a few years ago to protect car parks closest to the hospital is continuing to provide the desired effect and by and large these car parks (car parks 5, 6 and 7) do indeed turn over on regular and frequent basis during the day due to the time restriction control (4 hours). Similar time controls in the disabled car park area also continues to allow ease of access for disabled drivers arriving at site throughout the day.
In terms of staff, we are continuing to review our site Travel Planning approach with efforts to encourage higher use of public Transport, given that we have an excellent bus terminus at our main entrance. Additionally we will experience an increase in the use of bicycle transport by staff as is normal once the winter period is over. Also at this time of year, there is a generally low uptake of staff annual leave but this increases from February onwards which will reduce the pressure experienced at this time of year.
In respect of Park & Ride, we do already work very closely with TACTRAN and also Dundee City Council and fully support the Park & Ride initiative that is being planned for the Dundee West location. We fully believe that this will greatly assist with the continuing parking pressures.
In terms of providing additional parking facilities on site, I'm sure you will appreciate that for a number of reasons this is not in our strategic plans. Likewise we understand that Dundee City Council (supported by TACTRAN) do not consider increased parking provision to be something that can be supported from a planning perspective.
Out with what is currently our Seasonal high pressure we will continue to closely monitor parking capacity and in reviewing our Travel Plan (with support from TACTRAN) we will continue to focus efforts to try and encourage staff in particular to make higher use of what is already a very good public transport network in and around Dundee along with further promotion of walking and cycling to work, which also has a health benefit for staff."