Chichester parking spat between hospital staff and residents

West Sussex County Council’s south Chichester county local committee met on Tuesday (June 16), approving plans for new double yellow lanes in the city.

Roads including Bostock Road, Barnfield Drive and Baxendale Road were all earmarked for further stretches of double yellow lines.

The move was approved by councillors, with a number of residents blaming St Richard’s Hospital staff for parking in the residential streets.

Edith Clear, from the Swanfield Community Centre, said: “I want to know why the hospital are telling their new staff that they can use Swanfield Drive as a parking area.

“We don’t want it so can St Richard’s Hospital not be made to provide more parking places for their staff and for other patients and for visitors?”

Miles Davy, West Sussex’s lead professional on the parking strategy team, replied: “I’ve also heard the vicious rumours of what staff have been told by managers and I’ve raised it with managers there.”

Mr Davy outlined the proposals and recommended the committee approve option one on the agenda, which was for the majority of changes proposed earlier in the year by the parking team, but with some minor amendments following a public consultation.

He did say there had been a number of complaints surrounding hospital staff.

Mr Davy said he was ‘flooded’ with calls from councillors and residents with concerns after a number of new parking restrictions were brought in last year.

“We’ve been made aware of some really serious safety concerns and access concerns around the hospital. I heard some really disturbing tales about where cars had been parked and altercations with residents and staff.”

He later added: “I was hearing stories of hospital staff parking cars up people’s private driveways. These proposals are to deal with worst-case scenarios.”

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