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Neighbours of Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital ill over parking chaos

Residents are suffering mental health difficulties as a result of parking problems in the streets around New Cross Hospital, according to a city councillor.

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Councillor Milkinder Jaspal, who represents Heath Town, says he has been inundated with complaints about hospital staff and visitors clogging up roads around New Cross.

Disputes over parking have rumbled on for years in the area, with Prestwood Road, Bramerton Close, Wolverhampton Road and Graiseley Lane of particular concern.

Now Councillor Jaspal says the issue has reached crisis point.

"It's making people ill," he said. "I'm taking so many calls on this issue at the moment. Residents are telling me they are suffering from stress and anxiety because cars are double parked or left blocking their driveways.

"One lady told me she was verbally abused by a driver when she asked him to move his car from in front of her drive.

"This is just unacceptable. It has been going on for years but the situation just seems to get worse."

In 2013 the council launched a consultation over the introduction of a residents parking scheme around the hospital.

But it failed to get off the ground after 50 per cent of respondents said they would not pay the £40 annual fee.

Earlier this year police vowed to take 'very strong' action to tackle the problems by issuing more fines for dangerous and illegal parking.

The move followed a protest by a residents' campaign group who used wheelie bins to block a section of Wolverhampton Road.

Councillor Jaspal says he has made the resolving the issue his 'number one priority' as chair of the council's Health Scrutiny Panel.

He has called on the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust to review its parking policy at the hospital.

"I have to ask the question, is New Cross Hospital a good neighbour?" he said. "At the moment the answer is 'no'.

"They say there is adequate parking spaces at the site but too many staff and visitors are parking on the streets.

"People either don't want to pay to park on the hospital grounds or they can't find a space.

"We need a street by street solution here. This can only happen if we get communication between council officers and the hospital. At the moment no one wants to take responsibility."

Gwen Nuttall, chief operating officer at the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust said everything possible was being done to deal with the car parking issues.

This included the provision of a multi-storey car park to provide additional staff spaces and encouraging employees to come to work on public transport.

She said: "We constantly remind staff about the need to respect the hospital's neighbours by not parking irresponsibly and by not blocking people's driveways.

"It is disappointing that some staff are failing to take notice of those reminders and the Trust will continue in its efforts to encourage more responsible behaviour."

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