New 100-space car park for Fairfield Hospital as inconsiderate ‘double yellow’ parking hinders ambulances

A new car park at Bury’s Fairfield Hospital will help chronic issues which have seen inconsiderate motorists block the passage of ambulances. The council’s planning committee have this week approved plans for a 97-space car park on land at the edge of the hospital site.

The site previously housed two blocks of two-storey nurses accommodation which were demolished last year. The car park will be allocated for staff which will free up space for patients and visitors elsewhere on site.

The car park would be accessed from a new access to the south of an existing staff car park. Users of the car park would arrive via the main entrance and depart via the one-way system to the exit-only access to the B6222 north of the site.

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A statement was read to the meeting on behalf of nearby residents opposing the plans. “We live on Rochdale Road overlooking the proposed car park.

“With the demolishing of the nurses accommodation there’s an existing car park with door banging, car alarms going off and other disturbances. It’s a real nuisance and with another 100 cars these problems will be severely amplified.”

Joe Daniel, on behalf of the hospital trust, said: “Parking at Fairfield has been a long-standing issue. People park illegally on double yellow lines creating problems for safe circulation and blue light access.

“It’s also led to parking outside the site impacting residents. As a direct result of a lack of on site parking the hospital is experiencing up to 30 per cent not attending for outpatient appointments.

“The increased capacity of health care facilities and hospital visits at Fairfield Hospital have added pressure to the limited car parking spaces within the existing hospital ground, which prompted the need for the development of a temporary car park.”

The planning committee unanimously approved the plans.