PATIENTS at the Royal Liverpool Hospital will have to use a neighbouring multi-storey car park when major rebuilding gets under way next year.
The Prescot Street Q Park will become the official hospital car park for staff, visitors and patients if plans introduced to yesterday’s city council executive board are approved.
Cllr Peter Millea, the council’s executive member for regeneration, admitted there was a capacity issue but the parking scheme was needed in order to protect the Royal’s neighbours.
His proposal comes after the council and hospital revealed plans for a £400m rebuilding programme due for completion by 2014.
In the next 12 months, the hospital will start demolition work to prepare for the massive construction project.
Once the site is cleared, the main building work will begin alongside the proposed construction of the Hall Lane relief road. At this point, an interim residents’ parking scheme will be introduced, Liverpool City Council executives agreed yesterday.
Cllr Millea said: "We know what contractors are like when they start work, they start parking their cars outside people’s houses.
"We need a residents’ parking scheme in advance of work so their roads are not affected."
Speaking after the meeting he added: "If residents find people parking outside their houses, it must be pretty frustrating.
"Because of prohibitive charges at the hospital, people already park outside these houses."
There are 1,200 properties bounded by Hall Lane, Jubilee Drive, Edge Lane and Kensington and councillors had already decided to impose a residents’ parking scheme once work was complete.
However, these restrictions will now be brought forward.
The council will enforce the scheme and anyone without passes or visitor permits will be hit with parking tickets.
Cllr Millea said contractors should be able to find spaces in temporary car parks set up as the rebuilding work moves around the hospital site.
He said he hoped the hospital authorities would be able to strike a deal to provide priority spaces for staff and patients.
The interim scheme was noted by the council executive board during the update session and is now likely to go out to consultation over the next 12 to 18 months.
