King George Hospital Parking Meeting

We had a terrific turnout at last nights meeting focused on the issues around King George Hospital and parking burden in it's vicinity, pricing structures for Parking at King George Hospital and the parking burden around The roads near Chadwell Heath Station i.e Birchdale Gardens - was well attended!   Over 40 local people were at the meeting.  The meeting was attended by Mike Woodward and Eamon Cullinan from the Highways Team and Jackie Doyle and a colleague from the Barking Havering and Redbridge Hospital Trust Estates Department.

During the meeting Jackie highlighted that she had commissioned the existing King George Hospital and that a mass of residential builds in recent times had significantly increased parking inside the hospital area. 

New charges for parking had brought King George hospital in line with Queens Hospital and other hospitals in the Trust.  That high charges for overnight parking had been created a result of parking abuse by people using the local train station, college and School and that in part the charges were meant to ward off people not using the hospital.

Jackie also explained that a range of concessionary charges had been introduced especially for long term illness sufferers, those who are terminally ill and their families.  A list of these will be provided to us and we will upload them on this blog. 

Local residents talked of increased parking burden that had resulted from the staff charging scheme being introduced.  Many of the KGH staff that had been approached by local residents of the Heathfield Park Drive Estate, Barley Lane, Strouds Close and Roads associated with Gresham Drive had informed residents that they were not able to apply for Parking permits in the Hospital.  Jackie confirmed that parking permits were available and that although they may not cover all the staff that were parking on the local roads, there was no existing queue. Jackie agreed to reiterate to all staff that parking permits were still available.  Jackie did not feel that the introduction of parking charges were the cause for the increasing local parking burden.  She believed that they were associated with the loss of access to the visitor parking area which had now been fenced off to prevent parking abuse.  Residents expressed in no uncertain terms that burden had increased as a direct result of parking charges.

Staff permits cost £28.00 for lower level staff and £45.00 for higher level staff in accordance with the higher pay structure for senior staff.   Local residents voted in favour for free parking to be offered for all lower level staff believing this might reduce local burden and would stop penalising lower end staff that work hard for low pay.  Jackie agreed to take this to the management team.

Wilson reminded Jackie that they had previously applied for the development of a multi storey Car Park.  This had been turned down because of local planning law. Wilson asked if the Hospital would consider reapplying.  Jackie believed the Hospital would not be avers to such a scheme and agreed to apply for a multi storey Car Park on the Hospital site as much time had passed and a different set of situations might now yield a better result.

A resident believed that a multi storey Car Park might not resolve the local parking problem and wanted to hear from the Highways Team.  After a lengthy discussion the following options were agreed by those in the meeting:

Heathfield Park Drive Estate:

• Option 1 - Introduce a no weighting time restrictions from 08:00 - 10:00 and from 15:00 and 17:00.  the yellow line would be broken to the fore of residential drives allowing residents a 3rd parking space.  Moreover, on street bays would demarcate how far up the kerb cars could park outside of the weighting time restrictions, preventing inconsiderate blocking of the pavement.
• Option 2 - A double yellow line to be introduced along one side of all streets in the estate.

Gresham Drive and associated Roads:

• Option 1 - Double yellow lines on all corners.
• Option 2 - Weighting time restrictions as above.

Strouds Close:

• Option 1 - Introduce a no weighting time restrictions from 08:00 - 10:00 and from 15:00 and 17:00. the yellow line would be broken to the fore of residential drives allowing residents a 3rd parking space. Moreover, on street bays would demarcate how far up the kerb cars could park outside of the weighting time restrictions, preventing inconsiderate blocking of the pavement.
• Option 2 - A double yellow line to be introduced along one side of all streets in the estate.

After this, discussion went onto parking around the Chadwell roads near Chadwell Heath Station.  All the residents agreed that only Birchdale Road should be considered as members of other roads did not want any roads restrictions:

• Option 1 - Permit Parking bays to be introduced were possible, two pay and display bays to be introduced near dentists at High Road end of road.  Double Yellow lines to be added to all corners and that no yellow line should be applied elsewhere on the road.
• Option 2 - None.

Each Option 1 is the most favoured scheme by those in attendance.  Each Option 2 provides residents with an alternative.  The schemes will be prepared and submitted to the Area 5 Committee Meeting to be held in September.