Our plans have now been submitted for a new £15m Endoscopy unit on the grounds of the Cumberland Infirmary.
Artist’s impressions show this new state of the art facility will be housed in part of the current visitor car park.
The requirements for the new building means that the Trust has had an opportunity to look at options to improve and increase the car parking provision and we are now submitting plans to re-provide the parking lost by the build.
The new parking plans include making the car park on the left as you come onto the site, a dedicated public car parking area (this is the green car park on the map). There will also be a new dedicated staff car park with over 55 spaces at the back of the hospital (the light blue car park on the map). Overall, once the Endoscopy unit is complete, there will be at least 30 more spaces across the whole site.
Download the new car parking map
The Trust is also introducing Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology for visitor car parks, which will replace the current barrier system. We expect these changes to take place in early spring and we will be making sure signage on the site is clear.
Changes to the car parks at the Cumberland Infirmary
Why are you making these changes?
The building for the Endoscopy unit will remove a number of car parking spaces from the current main visitors’ car park. In order to mitigate this and reduce the amount of disruption for patients and staff, we have looked at how we can re-provide those spaces. Our plans ultimately will deliver more car parking across the whole site once the Endoscopy building is complete.
Will there be more car parking spaces for visitors and staff?
Yes, once the Endoscopy build is complete there will be at least 30 more spaces across the whole site. The split between visitors and staff will be retained as the same balance. Staff will get a brand new car park at the rear of the hospital.
How long will we have less spaces for?
There will be less spaces until the Endoscopy unit is fully complete. Planning permission is still being sought and therefore this timeline is not yet fixed. Once building begins we hope to have it complete with in a year.
Where will the bus stop go?
We plan to move the bus stop to the opposite side. It will be on the left as you drive into the site. We will remove some of the grass verge to allow buses to stop while still allowing access to ambulances. We will provide a zebra crossing to give easy access to the Endoscopy centre, the Cancer Centre and other services not in the main hospital.
What will happen to the cycle rack?
The cycle rack will be re-provided in an area just off the existing Main Visitor carpark, close to the Pillars Building. One of the existing cycle racks will be dismantled and relocated, new sheeting and lighting will be added as part of the relocation. We have reviewed the use of the cycle racks and believe that a single large store provides more than sufficient capacity. It will be available for staff and public to use as the current one is.
Will parking challenges increase while the building work takes place?
There will be some disruption while building work is taking place and the numbers of space on the entire site will be slightly less. We apologise for the inconvenience and we ask for your understanding while we work to deliver new services for patients across the north of the county.
Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR)
What is ANPR?
This is a system that automatically reads your number plate when you enter a car park. You don’t need to collect a ticket you just park your car in any available space. When you need to leave there are different payment options. You can:
- Put your number plate into the payment machine found at the car park. The system will find you and will know how long you have parked for and charge you accordingly. You can pay using cash or cards.
- Express pay. You can pay by using your phone to scan a QR code and following the prompts
- Downloading the app and using autopay. This allows you to pay for your parking at your convenience. You can pay when you get home or back to the office
How can we stop people just not paying?
Fixed penalty notices will still be issued for those who have not paid. They will also still be issued for those who do not park within the stated bays and if anyone who is not eligible parks in a restricted zone such as the disabled care park without a blue badge.
What if I don’t have a phone or don’t want to pay on my phone?
You can pay using the cash or card payment system that will be in the car park you are parked in. You just need to put in your number plate and it will tell you how long you have parked for and what you owe.
I don’t have the app can I still park?
Yes you can. You can pay using the cash or card payment system that will be in the car park.