Multi-storey car park could be built at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital to address parking 'nightmare'

Exactly where it would be on the site near Wellington and how many spaces it would have are yet to be addressed, as is any necessary planning permission.

But chiefs at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) revealed their intentions while being quizzed at a meeting in Shrewsbury on Friday (February 13).

Matthew Neal, director of SaTH’s Hospitals Transformation Programme, told a meeting of the joint health overview and scrutiny committee that in the short term more spaces would “come online in the next week” near the Ironbridge Suite.

For the longer-term solution Mr Neal said SaTH is working with Telford & Wrekin Council to “look at a multi-storey option”.

“It could take some time but we are actively pursuing it at this time.”

Following the meeting Mr Neal said that SaTH is talking to the council about the best place for a multi-storey block on the site. Its design is also to be decided.

During the meeting Mr Neal and his colleagues were pressed by Telford & Wrekin councillor Derek White over what he called the “absolute joke” of parking at the site.

Before Mr Neal had revealed the idea, Councillor White (Labour, Madeley & Sutton Hill) said: “I’ve had to go there four times in the last two weeks and the parking is an absolute joke.

“It is a nightmare. The site gets backed up and it takes 25 minutes if you are lucky to get a space.”

Revealing that he had been fined £15 over parking, Councillor White said the spaces are “not properly marked up”.

He pointed out that the hospital has added a “café and a supermarket” before sorting out the car parking, and pressed for a multi-storey option.

“You are going to get your money back with a multi-storey car park,” he added.

The meeting was told that public transport ideas are also being considered and employees are “encouraged” to use the staff-only park-and-ride arrangement at AFC Telford United’s ground in Wellington.

The meeting was also told that SaTH is discussing options at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) where the park-and-ride service for patients and staff to and from Oxon has been a success.

Shropshire councillor Bernie Bentick (Liberal Democrat, Meole) asked whether the popular Oxon park-and-ride arrangement could be extended to include the sites at Meole Brace and Harlescott in Shrewsbury.

Mr Neal said there were regular discussions with Shropshire Council over developing public transport links.

As part of the multi-million pound Hospitals Transformation Programme officials are also looking at how to make sure patients are helped to travel between RSH and PRH.

Mr Neal’s presentation stated that the trust is “continually working to maximise the existing space at RSH to create additional car parking”.

It added that SaTH is “working with transport organisations and councils on public transport routes to RSH and PRH”.

And chiefs have committed to “establish a transport link between the two hospital sites ready for 2028”.

They also said that patients who are eligible for hospital transport now “will continue to receive hospital transport in 2028” when the new extension to RSH is opened for patients.