Public to have their say on car parking charges

Public to have their say on car parking charges

7 January 2015

A PUBLIC meeting is being held in Downpatrick next Monday to discuss controversial plans to introduce parking charges at the Downe and Downshire hospitals.

The meeting is being held at the Great Hall at the Downshire complex and starts at 3pm, with Down Council chairman Billy Walker urging people to make their views known to senior officials from the South Eastern Trust.

Health administrators insist charging staff, patients and visitors to park at both hospitals is part of a plan to provide what they have described as “long term, safe, secure, and affordable car parking” across all its sites.

The Trust says it has conducted an option appraisal to consider a range of options, with the preferred model introducing parking charges at the Down and Downshire sites.

New parking charges are also proposed for the Ards Hospital and the Lagan Valley Hospital in Lisburn. Car parking charging is already in place at the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald.

Health chiefs say any surplus money generated from the various car parking proposals will be ploughed back into patient care, but the assertion has cut little ice with local politicians.

Councillor Walker said health chiefs should be concentrating on delivering frontline services, rather than introducing parking charges at local hospitals.

He believes that given the management costs associated with the charging proposal that “virtually no money” will go towards improving patient care.

“These charges will apply to staff, patients and visitors and people attending two GP clinics based on the first floor of the Downe and will have a major impact,” declared the council chairman.

“I am unaware of any problems at the Downe Hospital car park. I believe the rationale being used to introduce parking charges does not stand up to scrutiny. What this proposal is effectively about is charging people who are ill to see a doctor or other medical staff. It is wrong.”

Councillor Walker hopes people will pack the Great Hall next Monday afternoon to make it clear that they are totally opposed to parking charges being introduced.

He said Down Council is “totally opposed” to introducing parking charges and does not believe the scheme will result in a single penny going towards patient care, given the costs associated with managing it.

The chairman added: “Many believe that once the management of these car parks is paid for, there will be virtually no money being redirected to patient care.

“It is the view of Down Council’s Health Committee that these charges are simply unjustifiable and will impact on the vulnerable. People with an interest in this issue must attend next Monday’s public meeting.”

n  Public consultation on plans to introduce parking charges at the Downe, Downshire, Lagan Valley and Ards hospitals ends on February 18.