ARE CAR-PARKING CHARGES LEGAL?

The 220-bed Bridlington & District Hospital was opened by the Duchess of Gloucester on May 16th, 1989, at a cost of £16m.  Bridlington hospital is of excellent build and architectural quality and was commissioned in 1987, it joined Scarborough & North East Yorkshire NHS Healthcare Trust in 1999, since then little as been done to improve facilities due to lack of investment? We can only hope that improvements will come forward in the future.

The recent car-park-charges are the last straw, 300% increase is nothing more than extortion.  When reading the above passage, cast your minds back? The car-park was built along with the hospital, since 1999 when the Scarborough NHS Trust took over, the car-park was budgeted for from 1999 to Jan 2003 when the first introductions of car-park charging was in put into play, charges were 50p per hour.  Just 2 years later the price jumps to £2.00?

I believe that the land the Hospital stands on was given by the Town, in that case the car-parking should be free, it was for 13 years, because the land belongs to the people of Bridlington, is it legal to charge for parking? What is the money used for?  I ask the Solicitors of the Town to Challenge the Trust, as we believe that the car-park-charges are illegal?  The Trust are marking money under false pretence.

The NHS is free at the point of entry; the car-park was built 14 years ago, what maintenance does it require? Yes I'm baffled also!

Mick Pilling Chairman Save/Support Bridlington Hospital Campaign