PARKING ON MARKET HILL has often been an issue to spark controversy amongst pedestrians and motorists. It is of particular concern to those users of the Hedon Group Practice and Church View Surgeries.
But in their annual patient survey the Hedon Group Practice approaches the issue head-on and asks:
PARKING
If (travelling) by Motor Vehicle, what is your view of the parking facilities available?
- Always park at the practice
- Can sometimes park at the practice
- Can never park at the practice
- Park elsewhere
If parking is a major obstacle, have you any ideas on how to help alleviate the problem?
The Patient Reference Group at the surgery has some 455 members – so the feedback from this survey should be very interesting to receive!
In the meanwhile local resident Neil Shillito has a radical solution to offer…
“…They should get rid of the doctors surgeries to Rosedale creating a medical centre with enough safe parking for all, they could then use Market Hill for events such as the Christmas switch on, a fun fair in the summer, car boots , and of course you could put the market up there where it belongs, it could be much bigger than it is now creating extra shoppers using the village facilities. I’m sure with a bit of thought we could really make our town a better place….come on councillors!”
So what do you think?
THE ARTICLE on the Hedon Group Practice patient survey on parking has prompted some discussion over at Surgery Survey on Parking at Market Hill.
We are delighted that Roy Peckitt, Practice Manager has joined this debate to clarify matters on behalf of Hedon Group Practice. We reproduce Mr Peckitt’s letter in full including a link to patients’ comments on this issue from the patient survey.
We hope that this will help inform the debate – one that we will keep open at the original article where we have reproduced this page.
It is correct that Hedon Group Practice, Church View Surgery and Humber Mental Health (owners of Rosedale Community Centre) are 3 separate business entities.
It is correct that Hedon Group have extended their premises 4 times in 15 years. However had we not done so, we would not be providing Hedon residents with the services that we currently do. The hundreds of patients who have Warfarin dosing monitored, minor surgery, joint injections, and other many other services we currently provide would have to travel into Hull, with all the issues that raises. We would have only had a surgery suitable for basic consultations.
Indeed the premises situation will compound as the Government intends to increase the shift of healthcare from Secondary Care (hospitals) to Primary Care (GP surgeries) i.e. the local community.
Prior to the last extension we fully investigated moving sites. We engaged the services of a London firm who had experience of developing purpose built new GP premises and established 2 possible local sites for further consideration. The cost of such a move was circa £2.6million. The Practice was in no position to take on such borrowing independently. We approached the East Riding of Yorkshire Primary Care Trust but were informed that there would be no funding support available. East Riding of Yorkshire PCT does not have the same funding streams available that has seen Hull PCT develop large purpose built GP centres across the city. The 11th and latest (Hessle Road centre opening this March) has cost £11m with no direct costs to the 3 GP surgeries that will use the site. We were therefore left with no alternative other than extending into our loft which was dead space. I must correct Councillor Bryan in his comment that this doubled our floor space. It was more in the region of a 40% increase, which we expect will enable us to take on some the of shift proposed from Secondary Care and will therefore benefit patients.
The reason we did not move premises is as stated above. It had nothing to do with our dispensing contract which the regulations would have allowed to remain in place (if we had moved).
Yes we do employ a large number of staff (nearer 30 than the 40/42 mentioned) BUT all of these with 1 exception are Part Time i.e. they are never all working at the same time. We have it in our Person Specification that it is desirable for new staff to live locally. We want to employ local people where possible and are also aware of the parking issues. Several staff walk to work, 3 or 4 cycle (in appropriate weather), a couple car share and finally 1 or 2are dropped off.
A few years ago our colleagues at Church View Surgery applied for planning permission for extended car parking utilising a field at the back of their premises. They approached us and enquired if we would pay a nominal fee for using such a car park (if planning approved) and we advised that yes we would. The Town Council/Planning Department refused this application.
One of the action points from our Patient Survey (which will be published shortly) will be to request staff to park away from the immediate vicinity of the green. Ultimately though we cannot enforce this as it would be unlawful, with anyone who has paid their road tax having the same rights. My personal suggestion would be to restrict parking on the green, during daytime, but this is in the hands of the 2 councils.
We do not believe that extending surgery hours would alleviate the issues. We already open late on Monday evenings (until 8pm) and Saturday mornings (7.45am to noon) for routine bookable appointments. These appointments are the least popular with patients generally only booking them when there is nothing else available. Our past surveys have shown although patients request extended opening hours the demand for such appointments is extremely low.
I attach (for interest/reflection) the parking comments/suggestions made by patients within our survey. Many Hedon/Holderness residents are obviously unaware of the protected status of the green.
I hope that this survey has generated sufficient interest for further discussion/consideration by the 2 councils.”
Roy Peckitt
Practice Manager
Hedon Group Practice
Thank you Roy for a detailed reply, Im astounded at the planning refusal for a car park in the field behind churchview, our councillors seem only to happy to grant planning applications for houses , as a 5th generation Hedon person ive watched our little town grow and grow with very little improvement in services to support these new developments. Seems pretty obvious to me and many others there was always going to be a saturation point, We need to look at this car parking issue in depth and i for one would like to know why the planning for a car park was refused Im looking forward to hearing from councillors on this point.
I’ve looked back on the minutes of the Hedon Town Council Planning Committee for 22nd October 2009, and there was much more to this application than just car-parking. The application related to a major scheme to erect a new Education Training Centre ‘with associated car parking’. It was recommended for refusal by HTC mainly because the land is regarded as critical to the special character of the area, being next to fields protected by English Heritage.
However, I’ll get this whole Market Hill parking issue onto an agenda at Hedon Town Council at the next opportunity
For your interest however Neil, (off subject, but seeing as you brought it up) no further significant housing development is proposed for Hedon in the new Local Development Framework which goes out to consultation very soon. Hedon councillors, (who, by the way, are not the ones that grant planning applications for houses – thats an ERYC function) have been strongly resisting residential development for many years, As a regular reader of the blog you will be aware that the LDF has been progressing for maybe 5 years and following ongoing resistance of Hedon Town Council, and ERYC Ward Councillors, out of 17 sites proposed, none of them has been accepted by the Planning Authority!
So your claim that ‘our councillors seem only too happy to grant planning applications for houses’ is unfounded !!.
My apologies John, it would seem im misinformed, however am i not correct in assuming the new old peoples place on Westlands estate(next to the drain) is new housing, the houses built under the archway of what i think was the joiners on st Augustines gate The Leaf sale estate , the new houses going up on what was the old brick pond,currently under construction. And didn’t i see recently plans for a new residential home on the Burstwick road.
My point being as Councillors surely you cant expect the town to keep expanding without providing the nessasary facilities to cope with the demand. The parking issue on market hill will eventually lead to an accident, this has been commented on to me by a number of residents, it is chaos up there at times.
Just as a follow up to what i said earlier on this post, I have been making enquiries locally, apparently the surgeries have considered moving, but they wont move because of something to do with the perscriptions,if they move they lose some lucrative deal or something, im not sure of the actual details , i wonder if one of our councillors can explain this properly as i would hate to taint our surgerys with being cash orientated if its not correct, Back to the parking at the old doctors there are 42 staff working there, they all have to park somewere, not sure how many at the new surgery but must be about same, thats almost 100 people looking for parking on a daily basis and they are always extending and adding to the sites, it must be time for a proper health center combining both doctors with adequate parking and facilities for all.
Could we use Rosedale for parking? While saving the ones near the surgeries for elderley and disabled people. There may be a few spaces usable round the back of the horse field on the one way system (sorry dont know the name of the road)?
Market Hill Parking
The true facts over the past 24 years are:-
When Hedon Hire purchased its present site on Market Hill April in1988 the Hedon Group Practice occupied only the white house but has extended 4 times over the past 24 years, the last extension was double it size so where do all the staff park?
Church View surgery worked from a house next to Hedon Group Practice and moved to its present location in 1989 where it has it own car park to the rear of the site.
Hedon pre school was developed with no arrangements made for parking or drop off.
It has become apparent with restricted parking times on St Augustine’s Gate and in the Market Place the people who work in the town can park all day without moving the car on Market Hill.
I do agree Market Hill is a problem
option1 – limited parking period
option 2 – extend opening time of surgery openings
Option 3 – do a full survey on who is parking in this area. It is difficult as no-one puts their name on the side of vehicles only those that do can be blamed
The real solution is a new car-park but not on Market Hill as the bigger green area on market hill has 400 plague victims buried there and for this reason cannot be used.
Regards,
Councillor Mike Bryan
South West Holderness Ward
Some of the staff live locally why can’t they walk to the surgery and leave the parking spaces free for the patients who are visiting the doctors because they are ill, whereas the staff wouldn’t be at work if they were ill.
If the staff won’t be fair about this then restrict the parking time to 2 hours, that is usually sufficient to visit the doctors and do a bit of shopping as well.
Why cant the grassed areas be paved for parking spaces and have a 1 way system in place as it can get dangerous near the nursery corner. There should be disabled spaces near both surgeries too!
eeeekk! Please, not that one again.
It’s protected, Suzanne, having been granted village green (or equivalent) status, when a previous Hedon Town Councillor came up with the same idea back in the ’60’s. Personally, I think the Market Hill is the jewel in Hedon’s Crown, and that’s how it should stay. Just have a look at in on a sunny Sunday morning and you’ll see what I mean
How does it go – they paved paradise, to put up a parking lot?!? If you want to see just how a concrete ‘green’ looks, take a trip to Cottingham. Should call it Cottingham Grey!
Your other ideas are worth looking at though, but firstly, in my opinion the matter of surgery staff, and GP’s taking up valuable parking spaces should be looked at.
Although parking on Market Hill for the doctors surgery is a problem, it is only part of the bigger problem of parking in Hedon generally. The lack of a decent car park causes dangerous parking elsewhere on the streets, particularly at the beginning of the road out to Burstwick. It also puts pressure on Market Hill parking.
Instead of trying to squeeze a car park in every little nook and cranny an effort should be made to earmark a big plot of land for a decent car park, if this is possible.
If Hedon Hire didn’t take up numerous parking spaces with their commercial vehicles there may be spaces for patients visiting the doctors surgeries
I thought that Hedon Hire were moving to a different location as it says on a sign which has been there years near Butterflies Children’s Day Nursery land acquired by Hedon Hire
seriously? It’s first come, first serve and free parking. Take a look at the amount of cars that are there all day from both surgeries, the nursery and local businesses. You’ll be shocked. Hedon Hire have the same right to be there as yourself or any other person.
think ive posted this on another thread however, Hedon Hire have only a few vehicles , there are 42 staff working at hedon group practice, presuming the other doctors has a similar amount thats almost a hundred people looking for parking places on a daily basis.
I’m afraid Neil Shillito’s solution assumes that the same body owns all 3 buildings – in fact, each is owned by a different organisation, so it would be difficult. And, of course, Rosedale is fully occupied – where would those services go?
I agree with Helen D that those who can do so should be prepared to walk further. It is very frustrating when trying to get a disabled patient close to the door that there are no disabled spaces. Places should be reserved for older and disabled patients close to both surgery doors.
Hi Carol i hear your argument, but nothing worth having comes easy, parties would have to agree terms, there’s lots of room at Rosedale to expand the property. Do nhs hospitals really need all those huge gardens.. Just today i was at the doctors and it was chaos, its only a matter of time before someone is hurt or killed up there. Im astounded parking was not a consideration when planning was given for the recent additions to the surgeries, these surgeries don’t only cover Hedon but all the surrounding villages,A proper medical center would only be of benefit to the area and safer access for all speaks for itself. Leaving what is really our village green, for what it was originally intended, a green space available for all the community to enjoy and an area to use for events and activities throughout the year.
We often park at the old Railway Station car park just outside of Hedon on the way in from Preston. We call it our “Park and Stride” – you can usually park there easily and it avoids the congestion of Market Hill, which is always a problem – not just because of the two surgeries, but also the Nursery there.
I have always had to park at the railway station but just lately even that is impossible. I wonder if one of the surgeries would be willing to move sites – barn farm in Thorn is empty I believe! LOL