HOSPITAL bosses are looking in to ways to improve the parking situation around Fairfield General after long-standing complaints from residents.

Barry Waterhouse, travel and access manager at Pennine Acute Trust, which oversee’s Fairfield General Hospital, has said that he is aware of resident’s concerns and that discussions are planned to tackle them.

His comments follow a meeting at Jericho Methodist Church last week, where residents highlighted a number of parking issues in the area — many of which they believe stem from the hospital.

Residents say they feel as though the hospital’s own issues with parking, including capacity, are being pushed on to them.

They also allege that many of the trust’s staff are choosing to park outside of the hospital grounds and in nearby streets, causing problems for people who live there.

Residents further questioned the trust’s decision not to build a multi-story car park, and asked why the charge levied on people using the carpark was not reduced or made free.

Pennine Acute Trust currently employs about 9,500 staff. But Fairfield currently has 769 staff spaces, approximately 80 of which are shared staff/ visitor spaces, 207 patient and visitor spaces, 43 patient and visitor blue badge spaces, and 23 drop off/ pick up spaces.

The hospital’s car park maintenance and management is funded from charges.

Mr Waterhouse said: “We are aware that some residents in the Fairfield area are not happy with the staff, patient and visitor parking provision at the hospital.

“We do encourage our staff and patients to use alternative methods of transport where possible and we recently applied for planning permission to build a new 92 space car park to improve the situation.

“We are meeting with Bury Council and TfGM to discuss the issues that were raised at the public meeting to see what we can do to improve the situation.”