COUNCIL bosses say there is no ‘magic solution’ to tackle long-standing issues with congestion around Barnsley Hospital and have ruled out an underground car park – just weeks after plans for a park-and-ride scheme were dismissed as too costly.
According to a report, a bigger focus is being placed on remodelling the site and active travel as more immediate solutions to address the issues.
Campaigners – who lodged a 300-strong petition to show the need for change – blasted the council for failing to carry out a patient survey which, they claim, would have continued to show strong demand.
However, officers who looked into the feasibility for the park-and-ride facility only gathered hospital staff members’ thoughts.
The report said: “Regarding the patient survey, it was observed that conducting it would be challenging due to the variability in patient visits and their origins.
“In contrast, staff surveys offered reliable insights into the locations from which individuals were commuting.
“The park-and-ride’s viability had been considered and upon professional advice, it was determined that the case did not hold up.
“Councillors queried as to whether any thought had been put towards an underground car park or a multi-storey but in response members were informed that capital costs were key to these options.
“It was reported that to create a business case for building something along these lines was close to impossible.
“There’s no magic solution to tackle the congestion around the hospital.
“It would require a multi-faceted solution such as active travel, improved public transport and work to reduce the number of people and vehicles accessing the hospital on a daily basis.
“The innovative work to relocate services from the hospital to the town centre has provided a number of benefits and it is hoped it will also distribute vehicles from a limited and congested site at the hospital.”
Coun Chris Wray, who represents the Dodworth ward – where the park-and-ride scheme was earmarked as a possible location – blasted the report.
He told the Chronicle: “I think it’s been rushed through and a public consultation most definitely should have been carried out – if it had been, I’m certain we’d have seen a big demand from the public.
“A park-and-ride scheme is the most logical solution to this as I don’t think there’s enough space for a multi-storey or underground car park at the hospital’s site.
“Oakwell could also have been considered much more than it was, as there’s a lot of land there and it’s part-owned by the council.
“Everyone’s aware of that area’s problems with congestion and poor air quality and I can only see it getting worse.”
