Car park plan submitted as part of hospital revamp

An architect's drawing of how the new car park would look

Plans for a multi-storey car park and access road have been submitted as part of a billion-pound hospital scheme near Keighley.

The facility, which will replace the current Airedale Hospital, will be built on the existing site, with services continuing at Airedale while the rebuild work takes place.

The current hospital serves 220,000 people living in the Bradford and Craven districts.

Foluke Ajayi, chief executive of the Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, said the car park in the south-west corner of the hospital grounds would "help support our current parking capacity issues".

She said: "It will also create a modern parking environment which improves accessibility, is more sustainable and is designed to complement the local landscape."

Ms Ajayi said feedback from patients, local residents and staff had been vital to shaping the trust's plans.

She added: "We have listened carefully and where planning and technical regulations allow, we have included as many of the suggestions as possible.

"The multi-storey car park is a key enabler for our new hospital, and we are very grateful for all the support received so far."

The application includes plans for 1,280 wider car parking spaces across five levels, 91 accessible parking spaces and 46 family spaces, 31 motorcycle spaces and 115 electric vehicle charging points for staff and visitors.

It includes a Statement of Community Involvement, which gives an overview of the public engagement activity carried out on the car park, the feedback received and how any concerns would be addressed.

Work is expected to begin next summer if the scheme is approved.

Airedale Hospital was built using the controversial material known as reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac), which has been found to be unstable and prone to collapsing.

In February, a meeting of Bradford Council's health and social care scrutiny committee was told the scheme to replace the hospital with a new building could cost up to £1.5bn.

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