Public Agenda Item: 7(d) Report for the Public Trust Board Meeting to be held on Tuesday 16 th October 2007

CAR PARKING

1 CURRENT PROBLEMS
1.1 Congestion - There are approximately 685 marked car parking spaces in the Scarborough Hospital site. However, the peak time demand for parking spaces from all users is significantly in excess of that number. This demand has meant that nuisance parking has now become the norm across the site with cars parked inappropriately on double yellow lines, hatched areas, grass verges, access roads, pavements and disabled-only parking bays.
1.2 Risk - With the congestion problems access for emergency vehicles, large vehicles and buses has at times become critical and has also led to concerns about pedestrian safety. A number of accidents have been reported which could have been reduced or eliminated had there been greater control over the use of the car parking spaces.
1.3 Maintenance - Car park maintenance diverts resources from other more important areas and the inappropriate parking, e.g. on grass verges, has increased that maintenance cost.
1.4 Environment - It is incumbent on all of us to minimise our impact on the environment and the Trust as a public body has a role to play in this. The proposal contained in this paper will, we believe, reduce the demand for car parking spaces and encourage the use of car sharing thereby reducing the impact of vehicles on the environment.
1.5 Security - In the absence of any managed process, vehicles are subject to damage including vandalism and theft. This situation is exacerbated by the lack of any car park patrol.

2 PROPOSED SOLUTION
2.1 In order to better manage the car parking, it is proposed to introduce parking charges for all staff and to review the parking charges currently levied on patients and visitors.
2.2 From the revenue generated, it is the Trust s intention to secure car park attendants who will regularly patrol the site and among their duties will give advice to car park users of available car parking and to discourage inappropriate or inconsiderate parking.

3 RESULT OF CONSULTATION
3.1 A number of issues were raised during discussions with staff representatives and the key comments were as follows:
(i) There should be no deductions from salary for car parking charges;
(ii) The rate introduced should be seen to be fair;
(iii) If staff were absent, there should be no charge;
(iv) If, at times, staff do not use their car, there should be no charge; and
(v) Concerns regarding the lack of a guaranteed space.
3.2 The proposal has also been the subject of consultation with the PPIF. Consultation with the PPIF raised five points
1. Retain the one hour charge at £1
2. 24 hour charge at £2
3. Reduce the rate charged for parking after 6pm
4. Profits to be allocated to healthcare
5. Review in a few months time
3.3 With these comments in mind, a review of the original proposal has been undertaken and the following is now proposed to be introduced with effect from 1 November 2007 or as soon after as possible.

4 PROPOSALS
4.1 All staff, who request, will be issued with a parking permit free of charge which will be displayed on their vehicle s windscreen. Only staff cars displaying such a sticker will be eligible for use of the car park. This will meet the key staff comment: There should be no deductions from salary for car parking charges
4.2 Staff will, on day s when they attend for duty, purchase a ticket from the car parking ticket machines at a cost of 50p per day and this ticket will be clearly displayed on the vehicle close to the parking permit in (1) above. This will meet the key staff comment: If, at times, staff do not use their car, there should be no charge ; and If staff were absent, there should be no charge
4.3 As an alternative to (1) and (2) above, staff who choose to do so, will have the option to purchase a car parking permit at the rate of £8.00 per month and a deduction will be made from salary. Staff who choose this option will have £8.00 deducted each and every month irrespective of whether they are at work or not.
4.4 Access to the barriered car park will attract a monthly payment of £25.00 per month by salary deduction. Access to the barrier car park will only be available for those individuals who pay car parking monthly by deduction from salary. The barrier car park has been traditionally regarded as the consultant car park. There is no intention to change this in the early stages of the new policy. However utilisation of the consultant car park will be monitored and availability of access to this car park will be matched to the spaces available. This will meet the key staff comment: Concerns regarding the lack of a guaranteed space. Car Parking Public Trust Board Mtg 16.10.07 Page 3 of 5
4.5 The charging system outlined in 4.2 to 4.4 above compares favourably with other local larger hospital staff parking schemes. This will meet the key staff comment: The rate introduced should be seen to be fair
4.6 The current rate for patients is £1.00 up to one hour, £2.00 for 1-4 hours, £4.00 for 4-6 hours and £6.00 for over 6 hours. The proposal is to simplify this system and with effect from 1 November 2007, there will be three charges levied for patients and visitors. The up to 1 hour rate of £1.00 will remain unchanged, 1 - 4 hours will attract a charge of £2.50 and over 4 hours £5.00. This will meet the PPI forum comment: Retain the one hour charge at £1 Whilst recognising the PPI Forum comment of 2 4 hour charge at £2 the proposal is to set the charge for up to 4 hours at £2.50 in line with common practice elsewhere. Whilst recognising the PPI Forum comment of Reduce the rate charged for parking after 6pm staff charges will apply at the same rates across the 24 hours, seven days per week; it would be incongruous to apply a different regime to patient and visitor parking.
4.7 Patients or visitors who require regular parking over a longer term, i.e. beyond ten days, can apply through ward/departmental managers, for a permit allowing unlimited parking for £8 per month.
4.8 The orchard will remain outside the scope of this policy in so far as it will continue to be used by residents only, at no charge. Similarly volunteers will not be required to pay parking charges.
4.9 Other Organisations whose staff operate from either Bridlington or Scarborough Hospitals will be invited to participate in the staff scheme.

5 COST IMPLICATIONS
5.1 The impact of these changes will be to generate income for the Trust which will, in part, be used to manage and improve security of the car parks. While it is difficult to predict the uptake as far as staff are concerned, it is anticipated that the proposals outlined above will generate in the region of an extra £90,000 against current income.
5.2 The initial investment by the Trust will include new signage, wheel clamps, consumables, which relate mainly to the issue of tickets, and for maintenance of the car parking system. That coupled with the employment of a car park attendant will in the first year require an investment in the region of £43,000.
5.3 In subsequent years, that investment is likely to run recurrently at £25,000. However, as part of this proposal it is our intention to review the car parking charges and management after six months and discussions on this review will take place with staff organisations and PPIF before any further changes are introduced. This will meet the PPI Forum comment: Review in a few months time .

6 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
6.1 It is intended to implement the car parking policy on December 1 2007 or as soon after as possible. In order to achieve this the following will be undertaken: Car parking machines will be re-chipped to reflect the new charges contained with-in the policy Staff will be written to and advised of the introduction of charges and invited to apply for a parking permit on the following basis: - Barriered car parking initially allocated to consultants only but to be reviewed dependant on uptake - Standard i.e. deducted monthly from pay. - Pay and display Signage to be reviewed, improved and altered to reflect new policy including clamping Secure a car park attendant and training in use of wheel clamps, customer relations and conflict resolution

6. PROJECTED COSTS/INCOME
6.1 As referred to earlier it is difficult to project the likely income arising from this new policy. However the current charges were, in 2006/07 projected to achieve income of £212k at Scarborough and £75k at Bridlington. The final figures for 06/07 were £173k and £74k respectively.
6.2 It is anticipated the new policy will achieve the original projection for patient etc income with further income from staff charges resulting in an overall increase in current income of £90,000 Estimated expenditure in year one is estimated at: Car park attendant £18k Improved signage
Re-chipping machines
£25k Parking permits
Site improvements
(NB at this stage these are estimates only although as agreed a full breakdown of costs and expenditure will be provided to the LNC, Partnership Group and PPIF following the review of the scheme)

7. RECOMMENDATIONS
7.1 The board are asked to support the introduction of charging staff for car parking as follows: Introduction of a charge of £25 per month for access to the barrier car park. Introduction of a standard charge for staff of £8 per month Alternatively staff to use the pay and display facility at a daily charge of 50p with staff on band 1 paying 30p per day
7.2 The board are asked to support the introduction of reviewed charging staff for patients/visitors car parking as follows
To retain the £1 charge for the first hour
To increase the 1 to 4 hour charge to £2.50
To replace the 4 to 6 hour and over 6 hour charges (currently £4 and £6 respectively) with a single over 4 hour charge of £5

Duncan Henderson Director of Human Resources
20 September 2007