Congestion chaos at the north’s main hospital could soon be at an end after health chiefs revealed plans for a huge car park expansion.
NHS Highland signalled last night that it has found the cash to create an extra 150 parking spaces at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.
And the health board also revealed plans to reintroduce barriers to control the number of vehicles entering the hospital grounds.
Action to address the parking “nightmare” at Raigmore follows a vocal community-led campaign, including a petition backed by almost 2,000 residents.
Pressure on the existing car park has frequently led to visitors and patients circling the site while looking for an available space.
There are currently about 900 spaces for public and staff – who are encouraged to park further away from the main building.
Revealing the expansion last night, an NHS Highland spokeswoman said: “We have identified funding which we will use to create up to 150 extra spaces on the site and we will also be reintroducing entrance and exit barriers to the car park.”
The hospital previously charged for parking but this was stopped by the Scottish Government in 2008.
The new barrier system will not charge but will use a different system which is still under consideration.
The amount of funding put towards the project is still being considered as well.
The new spaces are expected to be created by making better use of the hospital grounds.
Highlands Conservative MSP Edward Mountain backed extra enforcement at Raigmore – and proposed introducing a token system to control parking.
He said: “You could introduce a system where people need to collect a token once they have had their appointment at the hospital.
“There’s not doubt that people just leave their cars there while they’re away.”
He added: “Just now it is a complete nightmare. You can easily spend half an hour driving around looking for a space.”
Concerns have been raised in recent months that city drivers have been using the free spaces at the hospital as an unofficial park-and-ride facility.
Highland and Islands Labour MSP Rhoda Grant agreed that the hospital has been under strain because of the car parking situation.
She said: “People are often quite stressed when they arrive at the hospital for an appointment and if they are having to drive round and round looking for a space then that just adds to the stress.
“I think anything that discourages people parking at the hospital and using it as a park and ride is to be welcomed and it eases the stress on patients.”
Highland Council leader Margaret Davidson also welcomed the announcement.
She said: “I say good luck to them because it has been very difficult for them since they stopped charging, and before that if we’re honest.
“People do park there and get a bus into town which really isn’t fair.
“It’s still going to difficult for them because it feels like Raigmore Hospital is full but 150 spaces is quite a lot.
“The real problem is for people who are going in for treatment or are visiting and they end stuck looking for a space.”
Green MSP John Finnie said more consideration should be given to improving bus links to the hospital in an attempt to encourage more people not to take their cars to the hospital.
His calls were echoed by hospital volunteer and Ballifeary Community Council chairman Bill Boyd – who has previously called for NHS Highland staff to be given free bus passes for work travel.
The hospital has pleaded with drivers to be more considerate when parking in the past.
In June 2015 it was highlighted that drivers were blocking other motorists in and using disabled bays without blue badges.
