Plans for a multi-storey car park, mainly for patients and visitors, have been submitted to the city council.

With room for 899 vehicles, the proposed location is an existing 150-space surface car park between the hospital ring road and Herries Road.

It is intended that the extra space will not only ease the parking problems on campus but also the overspill congestion on surrounding streets that has plagued residents.

It is also hoped there could be the spin-off to relieve jams near the hospitals around Broomhill.

Some drivers could find it convenient to leave their cars in the multi-storey at the Northern General, then take a shuttle bus that operates between the hospital and Broomhill.

In a report to the council, consultants for the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust say: "For a number of years, car parking has been a problem on all the trust's sites.

"There has been a particular problem on the central campus site where the lack of parking spaces frequently causes gridlock in the surrounding streets and frequent hazardous conditions for both pedestrians and car users."

Demand for parking places in the Broomhill area extends to the University of Sheffield and Weston Park Museum as well as the Royal Hallamshire, Weston Park and Children's Hospitals.

Initially it was planned to extend the multi-storey car park at the Royal Hallamshire, then priority switched to building a multi-storey next to Weston Park Hospital, but there has been no sign of progress.

The trust sought council permission for a new car park at the Northern General more than two years ago, but was asked to provide more details about implications such as its management and the effect on traffic, which it is now doing.

A spokesperson for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust said: "We can confirm that our planning application to build a multi-storey car park is with Sheffield City Council.

"If agreed, the car park will provide over 800 spaces predominantly for patients and the visitors although there will be a small number of staff spaces for essential users such as community based nurses.

"We hope to have a decision by the end of the year.

"With regard to our other hospital sites we will continue to explore all options open to the trust to ease the pressure on parking."



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