Concern has been raised about parking spaces on residential roads being offered to hospital staff without consulting with residents.
Reading Borough Council (RBC) and Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust agreed a deal to offer 178 discounted car parking spaces for staff on surrounding streets, including Upper Redlands Road and Kendrick Road.
While the roads will remain available to all, Green Party councillors said residents should have been consulted and have asked for the decision to be reviewed.
Residents raised issues about the lack of consultation and the loss of residential parking spaces, but the council said the bays will remain open for all to use on a first-come-first-served basis.
Councillor Tony Page, RBC’s lead member for Strategic Environment, Planning and Transport, said the initiative does not affect any resident parking bays and will therefore have no impact on residents’ parking, which is why no consultations were required.
However, Green councillor and local ward member David McElroy, said: “It is simply not true to say that resident parking bays are unaffected.
“Some of the bays are shared between pay-and-display and resident parking.
“You might have thought the council would consult with residents and at the very least inform them.
“Green councillors fully support the council working with the hospital on parking but the council must talk to residents.”
Responding, Cllr Page said the pay and display bays were introduced following consultation with the full expectation they would be used by paying customers during the operational hours and then resident permits only overnight.
He added: “None of this has changed.”
The deal, which was agreed last week, also includes providing up to 600 parking spaces at Queens Road Car Park for NHS and hospital staff.
Concern has also been raised that Royal Berks staff would now lose the ability to use car parking spaces at the hospital.
A spokesperson for the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust said parking has long been a challenge at the hospital because of the limited space available and it is currently reviewing the situation.
The trust said it is aiming for arrangements to be as flexible and accessible as possible for all staff, visitors and patients, as well as considering the needs of local residents.
It also said it is doing all it can to encourage active transport.
Article originally appeared on the Reading Chronicle
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