'Chaos' fears over plan to end hospital park and ride

PLANS to end the park and ride used by staff and visitors to Wales’ largest hospital will cause chaos, say staff.

- ABBIE WIGHTWICK

The current park and ride service, which runs from Pentwyn, drops staff and patients off at the University Hospital of Wales

Hospital management also described the service as “essential”.Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said the loss of a park and ride facility for the University Hospital of Wales (UHW) “would significantly impact the operation of the site and surrounding areas”.

The health board said it would mean hundreds of additional cars seeking parking to attend appointments, work and visiting relatives at the hospital site in Heath, Cardiff.

The owner of the Cardiff East Park and Ride site, Curtis Hall Ltd, wants to change the use of the site, which has spaces for 1,000 cars and is used by people working in and visiting UHW.

Curtis Hall is running its own consultation on the plans, with a deadline of tomorrow for people to submit their views.

In a pre-planning application consultation, the company says it wants to keep the bridge at the site, replace the commercial units for a data centre and remove the park and ride.

The 23 hectare site covers the existing Cardiff Park and Ride East in Llanrumney and is accessed from the A48 (Eastern Avenue).

A new bridge linking the A48 Eastern Avenue with Pentwyn and Llanrumney would be built under the proposals, if agreed.

Some UHW staff who drive to work are already having to arrive hours early for shifts to ensure they can park with fewer and fewer spaces available, they said.