Hospital bosses have dropped their plans to build hundreds of parking spaces to help cater for the extra staff, patients and visitors using the bigger and more modern Royal Sussex.
The reverse move came to light in a planning application to amend the planning permission already granted for the proposed new Sussex Cancer Centre building, in Eastern Road, Brighton.
The scheme was granted planning consent with a two-floor basement car park but the revised proposal, if approved next week, would mean almost 300 fewer parking spaces.
The plans for the Royal Sussex County Hospital are due to go before Brighton and Hove City Council’s Planning Committee on Wednesday 7 May.
The original plans were approved in March 2012 and the extra parking reflected the change in the nature of the Royal Sussex as increasingly a wider regional centre for hospital care.
They took into account the higher numbers expected to travel from places less well served by public transport and staff whose shifts start or finish when public transport is less feasible.
Work started on the first phase of the revamp in January 2016 and included a net gain of five parking spaces.
Since then, University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Royal Sussex, has started leasing 530 staff parking spaces in Whitehawk and at the Racecourse.
On-street parking near the Royal Sussex is too expensive for most staff with time limits that are much shorter than a typical shift.
The new Louisa Martindale Building alone has about 3,500 staff and 318 beds while the Sussex Cancer Centre should house about 300 staff and 36 beds.
Almost half of all staff at the hospital drive to and from work by themselves. Just over one in five walk to and from work while almost as many take the bus. Nine per cent cycle.
While there will be fewer car parking spaces if the new plans are approved, there will be more cycle parking although an audit of almost 300 spaces found almost half unused.
The audit found, for example, just one cycle parking space in use by each of the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department, the Sussex Eye Hospital and the old Dorothy Robinson Resus centre.
The revised plans also proposed adding 21ft (6.5 metres) to the height of the cancer centre although it would still be five storeys high but without the two basement levels.
The unit, on the site of the now-demolished Barry Building, would also have less floor space but bed numbers would increase from 26 to 36.
It would house radiotherapy, haematology and oncology day units, outpatients, acute assessment units and wards.
The plans include a landscaped public plaza between the Louisa Martindale Building and the cancer centre instead of a roof terrace in the original plans.
A report to the council’s Planning Committee said: “In addition to the above changes, a number of conditions are proposed to be amended including conditions relating to plant and machinery noise levels, surface water drainage, acoustic surveys, rainwater recycling, foul water, water infrastructure and the roof terrace on the stage 2 building.
“Many of the above amendments have arisen through the need to meet the functional / operational requirements of the hospital as well as the requirements of legislative updates that have occurred since planning permission was originally granted in 2012.”
There were 34 objections to the proposals, with people worried that reduced parking will lead to more competition for spaces in surrounding streets.
Neighbours also said that the proposed plaza could create a “wind tunnel” and would receive little light.
One anonymous objector, whose details were redacted by the council, said: “I do not believe that this amendment adequately addresses the many issues and mitigations that were highlighted in the 2012 and 2022 applications for this development.
“The new proposals have little in common with the original ones in terms of scale and design.”
The objector complained about the effects of the scheme on the surrounding environment, including the visual impact on streetscapes and views, listed buildings and conservation areas and the increased noise and disruption.
The anonymous objector also said that the new design was for a taller building even though it would have less floor space – and it would be closer to homes in Upper Abbey Road.
The objector added: “I object to the reduction in parking spaces in this developmen, which will inevitably lead to increased competition for street parking and higher congestion in surrounding residential areas.
“I object to the lack of a rigorous and convincing travel and parking plan to cope with the additional staff, patients and visitors travelling to the Cancer Centre from across Sussex.”
Three anonymous supporting comments said that the cancer unit would benefit the wider community. One said: “I’m thrilled that Sussex will be receiving a state-of-the-art cancer treatment facility.
“I’m sure the whole community will benefit from an improved service which will save countless lives. I’m extremely pleased to see the NHS investing in the future of Brighton and the rest of Sussex.
“The building does appear to complement its surroundings. I like the fact that it matches the Louisa Martindale Building.”
The committee is advised to back the plans at a meeting that is due to start at 2pm on Wednesday 7 May at Hove Town Hall. It is scheduled to be webcast.
Just how many cancer patients will be cycling there? Or going there to see the plaza?
Hospitals NEED parking. Staff work long, stressful shifts and need to be able to drive and park hassle free.
Patients arrive from a large catchment area and driving is the only practical option.
The existing parking is totally inadequate already.
I agree with you, Michael. You make an excellent point regarding cancer patients. And also because there are few alternatives for hospital workers, such as bus pass subsidies, park and ride schemes, and cycling is impractical for a lot of people.
So basically over priced parking is not paying enough to warrant the spaces.
Originally the new Royal Sussex hospital development was promised extra 297 parking spaces bringing the full number to just over 800. What happened? it’s in the Q and A of this article from 2015.
http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/13900642.everything-you-need-to-know-about-your-new-485-million-hospital/
Having spent over 1/2 an hour travelling round and round the Martindale car park and the fact that the tower block car park was marked as Full, ISTM that nobody from management bothered to check just what is needed.
My wife and I are both having extreme difficulty in walking and can’t use disabled spaces yet because neither of us has a Blue Badge yet, so what are we supposed to do? Buses are out of the question and I doubt the hospital would want to subsidise taxi fares from Shoreham.
genuine question, why are Buses out of the question?
Er. Perhaps they don’t feel well enough for lengthy travel times and changes of bus and that is why they are going to the hospital???
Incidentally, Alan, you can get travel costs refunded by the NHS. HTCS might be worth looking into?
https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/help-with-health-costs/healthcare-travel-costs-scheme-htcs/
Ahhh, the tiny hamlet of Shoreham, with it’s train station that has a car park, that takes 10 mins to get to Brighton station, Brighton station, with it’s direct 7 bus to the hospital that runs 24 hours a day. What are you going on about. Can’t – Won’t
You are assuming they are as fit and well as you, which presumably they aren’t because no one I know goes to the Sussex county hospital for the fun of it!
Staff desperately need a secure bike/ electric scooter compound. No one is going to invest a thousand pounds and leave it chained up outside in the rain to be stolen by some junkies.
An electric scooter/electric bike compound will never happen as it would constitute an uninsurable fire risk.
If the developers/builders don’t build/provide what the plans state – was agreed years ago, and is expected (and hopefully, tightly legally contractually binding) is criminal, fraudulant, and usually intentional, projected fines being factored into project costs etc., there must be such severe and widespread financial penalties, without exception, at every single level, top down, from former councillors, former company’s, owners, the investors, shareholders, directors, backers and any and every legal entity involved and before any financial benefit, payment, dividend, fees, costs, fines, expenses, at all is made whatsoever, that such contractual obligations are built as initially promised, not changed, amended, or removed, to never be actually delivered, years later.
‘If you build it, they will come’ – and whether they are patients, staff or visitors, they’ll need more parking each and every day.
Do the job or get nothing.