New Cross Hospital parking charges double

Parking charges at Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital are being doubled for short-stay visitors as part of plans to bring in an extra £1.5 million a year, while free parking for disabled people is being axed.

From today drivers will have to pay £2 to park between 15 minutes and an hour on site – double the current £1 charge.

It comes just months after bosses at the Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals Trust, which is trying to save £15m by March next year, hiked up prices for longer stays by up to 50 per cent.

Chief executive David Loughton also revealed plans this week to charge staff up to £252 a year to park on-site, when previously workers could park for free.