ANOTHER row over hospital parking is emerging as residents of an Ipswich street claim staff cars are blocking their driveways.The controversy in Lattice Avenue and Newbury Road follows union negotiations last June, in a bid to resolve a row over new parking arrangements because staff were not happy.

By Tracey Sparling

ANOTHER row over hospital parking is emerging as residents of an Ipswich street claim staff cars are blocking their driveways.

The controversy in Lattice Avenue and Newbury Road follows union negotiations last June, in a bid to resolve a row over new parking arrangements because staff were not happy.

The Evening Star revealed in March 2001 that some staff were angry they would have to use a staff car park at Pearson Road instead of parking in the main car park.

Staff signed a petition against the changes complaining of security fears and having parking fees deducted from wages when spaces would be scarce. Steve Harrup, the hospital's estates and facilities manager, answered concerns by saying security has been improved and the plan was designed to help solve overcrowding.

Heath Road residents have also complained about hospital traffic parking in their road.

Now residents in Lattice Avenue and Newbury Road are feeling the pressure.

They claim hospital staff park across their driveways, then use a nearby gate leading from a cycle track to access the hospital – a gate which was not part of the original plan so they were never consulted about it.

Mr Truman, said: "There have been arguments outside houses which have got quite heated at times. "Lots of people have been contacting the hospital to complain because staff are obstructing our driveways. But the hospital, when it does respond, has been very offhand."

He said the gate was installed as a good idea for staff who walked to work from within a ten-minute radius, but claimed they were passing on its security code to drivers to use too.

He said the hospital should enforce its own system, and added: "Once a gate has been created, people will use it. We said we would be prepared to help them identify people who are breaking the rules, but they have not responded over that."

His neighbour David Wilding said: "We didn't complain about the cycle track being created, because there was never any mention of that the hospital would put a gate in the fence, and allow everyone to use it. I think we have been totally misled.

"We all have sympathy for the hospital staff because they have trouble parking at the hospital, but the gate should be properly managed. Even an ambulance station for Newbury Road was once turned down for planning permission because this is supposed to be a residential street."

A spokesman for Ipswich Hospital said: "We are obviously concerned to learn of residents' comments.

"We have already asked all staff to be considerate if they are parking outside the hospital site.

"We have made more car parking spaces available for staff, and have changed the security code for the gate. The difficulty we find is that we can't stop anybody passing on the code."

But she added: "We must stress that these are public roads.

"If there are specific problems like blocked driveways, we will do everything we can to help and people should contact the estates and facilities manager Steve Harrup.

"But we will not be able to identify whose cars are causing the problem, because the only registration numbers we have are for staff who have permits to park on site. It is a difficult issue. We had hoped that by providing more parking spaces issues like this would be avoided."

She added that to park on site costs staff £6 a month, or £3 a month for part-timers.