Work on new Birmingham and Sandwell hospital car parks to start in July
Work on two multi-storey hospital car parks designed to ease parking on surrounding roads will start next month.
New car parks will be built at Sandwell General and Birmingham City hospitals, increasing capacity by around 1,000 across the two sites.
The hospitals have been plagued by parking problems over the years, with staff, patients and visitors often leaving cars on side streets - to the frustration of residents - due to a lack of spaces.
Both hospitals will be scaled down when the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital opens in Smethwick in 2022. A new medical centre is being built at the Sandwell Hospital site in West Bromwich, further increasing the need for parking spaces.
James Pollitt, associate director of strategic development at the Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, which runs both hospitals said the parking situation had been a "long-standing concern for our dedicated workforce".
Chief executive Toby Lewis said in his latest report to board members: "Construction work on our new car park facilities is due to kick off in July. Complete with good EV [electric vehicle] integration, these units will provide service and release land at City, and end the considerable parking deficit at Sandwell.
"We are renewing our discussions with National Express about subsidising public transport options, and are working closely with Birmingham City Council on their emergency transport plan."
The Midland Met will become Sandwell and West Birmingham's primary healthcare facility when it finally opens in 2022, at a cost of more than £1 billion to build and run.
It emerged earlier this month that the coronavirus pandemic could lead to even more delays on the new hospital, which was supposed to open in 2018.
