Hospital chiefs asked to explain parking policy

THE chairman and chief executive of Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have been asked to attend a special meeting of Halton Council’s health board to explain the ongoing row over car parking at the two hospitals.
Steve McGuirk, chairman, and Mel Pickup, chief executive have been asked to attend the meeting on Tuesday next week.
The meeting has been called following scores of complaints about the ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) system in use on the hospital car parks.
Warrington Worldwide reported last week that the car park management firm, Highview Parking, has had its licence suspended by the DVLA following complaints about parking fines at Halton General Hospital.
It is not clear, however, if Warrington Hospital is covered by the suspension.
As long as the licence is suspended, DVLA will not supply the company with the names and addresses of motorists using the car park.
Now, Halton councillor Dave Thompson has claimed that the ANPR cameras at Halton have not been granted planning consent.
Some 4,229 penalty notices have been issued by Highview Parking over a three month perio – enough to potentially cost motorist £1.3 million a year.
Hitesh Patel, chief officer of Halton Citizens Advice Bureau, has questioned the legality of the parking system on the grounds there is inadequate signage at the hospital.
But the Trust says the signs are legal – although it has undertaken to discuss the situation with the parking firm and to improve signage.
They have also pointed out that the vast majority of people are using the car parks without problem. About 84,000 people had used the car parks over the last three months.
More than 1,300 people have signed a petition calling for the system to be scrapped.