Parking charge increase at New Cross Hospital

Parking fees at New Cross Hospital will rise for the first time in seven years from March.

Bosses are introducing a new £1 fee for an hour's parking but fees for longer stays will go up.

Instead of £2 for two hours, visitors will pay £3 - a 50 per cent increase - while people staying for up to four hours will pay £4 instead of £3 - a rise of 33 per cent.

Moves to increase charges on the hospital's 1,800-space car park have been criticised by a councillor who claimed visitors would instead leave their cars on surrounding streets and cause a "nightmare" for residents.

Under the new fees anyone staying five hours or more will continue to pay £5. It comes as Wolverhampton City Council is considering a residents' parking permit scheme in areas where residents have complained about commuters parking outside their homes. The area around New Cross is one of the worst affected.

John Mellor, president of the Wolverhampton branch of the national pensioners convention and also chairman of the Link health watchdog, said: "It is particularly concerning that at this time of austerity this increase is being implemented.

"Increased parking charges will not improve the services at New Cross Hospital but increase the profits of the car park company."

Heath Town councillor Milkinder Jaspal, who has campaigned for action to stop New Cross visitors and staff parking in residential areas, said: "This is a backwards step by the Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust.

"People who won't want to pay the higher charges will park in other areas. It's going to be a disaster and a nightmare for local residents."

Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust spokesman Samatha Turner said: "The trust has not raised public charging since 2005, some seven years and this will be only the second increase in 15 years.

"These changes will come into effect from March 5.

"As the site is under increasing pressure for parking, it means the trust needs to encourage people to think differently about how they travel and consider alternative, more sustainable methods of transport, for example by using public transport

"Compared with neighbouring trusts, New Cross is currently the same, or cheaper for its parking charges."

Sandwell Hospital charges £2.10 for an hour, £3.10 for two, and £3.60 up to five.