No to cancer centre until parking problems are sorted, say campaigners (From Echo)

What about that long wide patch of grass down the middle of Prittlewell Chase, running from the hospital to St Thomas More. Concrete it over and make it into parking bays.

2 easy answers reference the parking:-

1. Give patients at English hospitals free parking, mirroring Wales & Scotland (point to note, when the parking fees were allowed for the UK, the Labour MPs representing Welsh & Scottish constituencies voted in favour as they already knew their devolved assembly/parliament would ensure these fees were never to be imposed on their own electorate).

2. Make provision for additional parking, possibly by building a car park for patients/visitors to match that already there for the staff.

Of course, better bus services with free travel for patients/escorts would be a good idea too, but as we cannot have a decent service elsewhere in the borough (especially at evenings & weekends), I suppose that is a non-starter.

Nebs wrote:
What about that long wide patch of grass down the middle of Prittlewell Chase, running from the hospital to St Thomas More. Concrete it over and make it into parking bays.

Ah, but you'd have SKIPP setting up a protest camp there if they even thought one tree was going to be felled..............
............

Cancer v minor parking issues... The hospital is landlocked, sacrifices have to be made, and parking for residents has never been better since everywhere around the hospital has resident parking now.

So what about those that NEED this facility or do their lives come second to car Parking?

Remember this in May.

The fact that this 'story' has even made the papers is an insult. This is for the greater good so go ahead and ignore these idiot 'campaigners'.

"clogging up their roads".... Who the hell do these people think they are?

Residents in the surrounding area own their houses and the land around them, not the roads which are the Queen's Highway.

Admittedly the situation does seem to be a little out of hand and parking resources at the hospital need to be increased but provided local residents' drives aren't being obstructed they have no cause to complain about other road users parking on the road in front of their houses.

These campaigners have obviously never experienced Cancer themselves.

Good forbid that Ric Morgan would ever need the services of said Cancer Unit?

I could never understand why the parking scheme extended to roads like Westbourne Grove where most houses have ample drives for parking. The road is empty during the day now. Roads like this should be removed from the scheme and given back to the public to use.

add Southbourne to that too!

Where do i start!!!!!! firstly, there are always parking spaces within the hospital grounds for patients and visitors, since the opening of the staff car park it has free'd up most of the car park and there are always gaps. The people who choose to park on the road are generally staff who have not got permits and have no choice or people who dont want to pay. Its not ideal that they have to pay to go into the car park but please also remember staff have to pay to use it too just to go to work! The people who live in the surrounding area have always had the hospital on thier doorstep, maybe they should have considered the parking issues before moving there. And clearly the people who are moaning about a cancer centre have never had the trauma of fighting cancer. The service they are trying to offer is priceless to families and patients with cancer and i cant believe people feel the parking issues are more important. We are lucky we have such an amazing cancer and chemo unit at our hospital and on our doorstep. imagine having to travel to london or for miles for treatment when feeling so sick. be grateful for the NHS and the services it provides because we would be lost without it and then people would have something to really whinge about!!

'We should concentrate on solving the main issue first'

So Mr Morgan believes that parking is a bigger issue than cancer.

Idiot man!!! Get a grip. You moan about parking. You live by a hospital that thousands of people use. God forbid you should develop cancer and need the unit in any way!! it makes me so angry!!
Dont worry about the cancer, just mind where you park your car. IDIOT!

This guy is a complete joke! Get over it. You've got your permit parking, now open your eyes. You decided to move near the hospital, your issue. Get a grip.

The people have spoken as one, cancer services over car parking as it should be.

Why should people of Southend who have cancer suffer and have to travel miles out of Southend to get the treatment they so desperately desperately need just so people can park their cars outside their houses.

It has been said time and time again that you do NOT own the public highway outside your house it is PUBLIC and if somebody wants to park their car there and as long it is taxed, insured, holds an MoT, is not causing an obstruction and the driver is fully compliant with the rules and laws of the road than no crime has been committed.

Anyone who supports the crippling of the cancer services of Southend really does not have the best interests and health of the people of Southend at heart.

All too many of us have seen a loved one fight and all too often have lost a loved one to this dreadful disease anything that can be done to help those we care about the most fight and battle and hopefully win that fight must be supported, if this means a few people might have to park a few doors or a road away from their house than so be it.

So is a life worth more than a parking space?

I say it is, and I'm sure the majority of you will agree with me.

This guy is a fool. I have read every reply on this and every single one of you support the Cancer Unit, im also in agreement.

I can not understand how someone classed as a Councillor can not look at the bigger picture and long term advantages such a project will deliver.

Also as part of the planning application the Hospital will have to submit plans which will include the use of roads and parking facilities..

This guy should be ashamed of even contemplating putting a bloker in the way of this project, given its purpose..

Total cretin!!

j-w wrote:
I could never understand why the parking scheme extended to roads like Westbourne Grove where most houses have ample drives for parking. The road is empty during the day now. Roads like this should be removed from the scheme and given back to the public to use.

Also many of the propertys behind the Hospital and left and right of have drive.
Rule the day some bright spark decided to sell off Rochford.

Nebs wrote:
What about that long wide patch of grass down the middle of Prittlewell Chase, running from the hospital to St Thomas More. Concrete it over and make it into parking bays.

It might spoil the view.

Max Impact wrote:
The people have spoken as one, cancer services over car parking as it should be.

Why should people of Southend who have cancer suffer and have to travel miles out of Southend to get the treatment they so desperately desperately need just so people can park their cars outside their houses.

It has been said time and time again that you do NOT own the public highway outside your house it is PUBLIC and if somebody wants to park their car there and as long it is taxed, insured, holds an MoT, is not causing an obstruction and the driver is fully compliant with the rules and laws of the road than no crime has been committed.

Anyone who supports the crippling of the cancer services of Southend really does not have the best interests and health of the people of Southend at heart.

All too many of us have seen a loved one fight and all too often have lost a loved one to this dreadful disease anything that can be done to help those we care about the most fight and battle and hopefully win that fight must be supported, if this means a few people might have to park a few doors or a road away from their house than so be it.

So is a life worth more than a parking space?

I say it is, and I'm sure the majority of you will agree with me.

I can't believe this day has arrived, a comment that actually consists of the consideration of others from Max Impact, is 2013 the year of change?


This type of consideration was not considered with the airport, victoria avenue, fossets way or any of the housing estates that keep cropping up??? So why are facilities for people with fatal illnesses put on hold because of parking and congestion. Perhaps it's because it is a public service and isn't designed to make profit?

This brings back horrible memories of when Rochford hospital was dismantled. This would of been the perfect site for this type of facility, along with many others.

It is not parking that is prioritised over peoples health, Max Impact, it is money and the inability of people to think of anyone but themselves.

balexan1 wrote:

Max Impact wrote:
The people have spoken as one, cancer services over car parking as it should be.

Why should people of Southend who have cancer suffer and have to travel miles out of Southend to get the treatment they so desperately desperately need just so people can park their cars outside their houses.

It has been said time and time again that you do NOT own the public highway outside your house it is PUBLIC and if somebody wants to park their car there and as long it is taxed, insured, holds an MoT, is not causing an obstruction and the driver is fully compliant with the rules and laws of the road than no crime has been committed.

Anyone who supports the crippling of the cancer services of Southend really does not have the best interests and health of the people of Southend at heart.

All too many of us have seen a loved one fight and all too often have lost a loved one to this dreadful disease anything that can be done to help those we care about the most fight and battle and hopefully win that fight must be supported, if this means a few people might have to park a few doors or a road away from their house than so be it.

So is a life worth more than a parking space?

I say it is, and I'm sure the majority of you will agree with me.

I can't believe this day has arrived, a comment that actually consists of the consideration of others from Max Impact, is 2013 the year of change?


This type of consideration was not considered with the airport, victoria avenue, fossets way or any of the housing estates that keep cropping up??? So why are facilities for people with fatal illnesses put on hold because of parking and congestion. Perhaps it's because it is a public service and isn't designed to make profit?

This brings back horrible memories of when Rochford hospital was dismantled. This would of been the perfect site for this type of facility, along with many others.

It is not parking that is prioritised over peoples health, Max Impact, it is money and the inability of people to think of anyone but themselves.

It must be highlighted that it is just this ONE Independent councillor and a small band of campaigners who are strangley absent from the photo or being nammed in both this article and the printed version in tonight echo.

Unless the campaigners are willing to stand up and face the camrea why should we listen to them.

SBC if you really do read these forums, this facity is something that Southend needs.

Thinking about the fact that rejecting it could see the plug pulled on other services in this much needed section of the hospitals work, facilitys that other hospitals would grab with both hands and it will then be us the people of Southend that will suffer, we will have to travel miles out of town to reach the services we need to carry on our lives in the best way we can in the time we have please ignore this councillor and listen to your hearts you know, we know this is a facility Southend must NOT loose.

Would you vote or somebody who wants to block cancer care in Southend?

A lot of the problems around the Hospital have been created by the poor forward planning of the Hospital its self. When the Rochford site was closed many years ago with transfer of nearly all the services to the Southend site it was inevitable that with the increase of population and the demographics of the area that the Southend site was never going to be big enough to cope.

j-w wrote:
I could never understand why the parking scheme extended to roads like Westbourne Grove where most houses have ample drives for parking. The road is empty during the day now. Roads like this should be removed from the scheme and given back to the public to use.

I heard last night, don't know if it is true, that some of those roads that are currently Resident Permit Bays Only will be changed so as the bays become pay and display.

JAS1983 wrote:
Cancer v minor parking issues... The hospital is landlocked, sacrifices have to be made, and parking for residents has never been better since everywhere around the hospital has resident parking now.

So annoying though when looking for a space to see the majority of the resident parking spaces empty!

EssexBoy1968 wrote:
2 easy answers reference the parking:-

1. Give patients at English hospitals free parking, mirroring Wales & Scotland (point to note, when the parking fees were allowed for the UK, the Labour MPs representing Welsh & Scottish constituencies voted in favour as they already knew their devolved assembly/parliament would ensure these fees were never to be imposed on their own electorate).

2. Make provision for additional parking, possibly by building a car park for patients/visitors to match that already there for the staff.

Of course, better bus services with free travel for patients/escorts would be a good idea too, but as we cannot have a decent service elsewhere in the borough (especially at evenings & weekends), I suppose that is a non-starter.

All these people that live in the surrounding streets do they never go shopping and park outside somebody else's house or visit friends and park in somebody else's street!! The street doesn't belong to you car drivers pay road tax to be able to use the roads!! It is bad enough having to visit and take people to hospital on a daily basis without the stress of finding somewhere to park as well no person having treatment wants to have to get a bus to hospital and not all can afford a taxi.

Good news ... a solution for you all! all!

Firstly we pay road tax, insurance etc to be able to use roads, nobody owns the road outside their home so there shouldn't be permits of any kind.

Secondly, you have to pay a set fee to park at the hospital now matter how short your visit may be. You have to pay an additional fee if you run over time because your appointment tis running late.

Disabled parking also has to be paid for.

I looked for a solution to many of these and other issues!

Basildon hospital has ample parking.

Disabled parking is free of charge.

If you need an x-ray, even with a form that has a Southend Hospital heading, you can go to Basildon hospital without an appointment and get your x-ray done very quickly.

As a patient at Basildon hospital your food is served on china plates, unlike the cardboard plates used at Southend.

There are no more complaints about Basildon than there are at Southend re care. I have always had the very best of care, in rooms that have doors that are closed during consultation, unlike southend that only have curtains, or doors blocked open.

You don;'t have to walk miles of corridors and the staff are fantastic!

It is no good any hospital providing treatment if patients cannot access them, not forgetting all the aggro finding a parking place!

I love my alternative so please give it a try! Maybe a bit further to travel, but a hassle free experience!

So people suffering and dying from cancer have to be discarded because of parking!
Wow nice people.
I understand their parking complaints and clearly something needs to be sorted, but asking them to delay something so important shouldn't even be considered.
Didn't they recently build and subsequently close, due to health and safety, a multi-story car park at the Hospital, has that re-opened yet?

So these campaigners and Independent councillor are they just a small minority of nimbys or do they actually have a group with a name?

If they do not have a group name shall we throw a few in to the hat?

PnC (Parking Not Care)
POCC (Parking Over Cancer Care)

Hahahahha runwellian

If you favour china plates and parking over decent clinical care more fool you. Ask any doctor or nurse who has worked at both hospitals which one they would rather be treated in!!

As for the issue here I can only agree with the vast majority. Cancer trumps parking by a very long way. Wakering gal says it all for me.

If you don't like people parking (legally) in your road don't move next to a hospital thats been there decades more then you have!

Nebs wrote:
What about that long wide patch of grass down the middle of Prittlewell Chase, running from the hospital to St Thomas More. Concrete it over and make it into parking bays.

I dont agree with residents parking permits or the proposed pay and display scheme.The road is empty during the day.Parking should be free for all motorists regardless of the arguments about the morals of cancer patients.