Additional parking approved for hospital

The Ridgeway Hospital will be able to expand its parking

A hospital on the outskirts of Swindon has been given permission to increase its parking provision.

The Ridgeway Hospital in Wroughton bought a square patch of land behind its existing car park in order to be able to expand its provision for both staff, patients and visitors.

But that caused concerns for some nearby neighbours who feared an intrusion of their privacy. Wroughton Parish Council then called the application in for consideration by the borough council’s planning committee.

Kate Liddington, the hospital’s executive director, told the committee: “The biggest complaint I get from staff and patients, my biggest headache day to day is the parking. We encourage our staff to park elsewhere, to walk, to cycle to work, or car share. We desperately need this car parking.”

The planning committee has now voted to approved the plans.