Joint Initiative To Improve Transport Issues Around University And Hospital

Published on: 26 Mar, 2015
Updated on: 26 Mar, 2015

A joint initiative to improve car parking and sustainable transport at the Royal Surrey County Hospital and at sites belonging to the University of Surrey, including its research park, has been agreed.

The Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford.

The University of Surrey, the Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford Borough Council and Surrey County Council have signed a memorandum of understanding that will include the development and provision of permanent long- and short-term car parking for essential staff and visitors to the hospital.

University of Surrey’s stag sculpture.

The vice-president of enterprise and growth at the University of Surrey, Greg Melly, said: “Both the university and the hospital provide vital services, facilities, businesses and employment in the local area.

“Together with the Surrey Research Park, this cluster of activity forms one of the most significant economic, health and social support areas in this part of Surrey.

“Guildford does however have significant infrastructure challenges which need to be tackled in order to provide robust solutions to issues such as the hospital’s car parking needs. Key to this is adopting a collaborative approach to short and long-term planning which is at the heart of this agreement.”

The director of organisational transformation at Royal Surrey County Hospital, Alf Turner, said: “‘We are jointly working on a solution to improve the area’s access, particularly from the A3, and parking, which takes into account the need to keep traffic to and from the research park moving smoothly.

“This will soon see the Royal Surrey submitting a temporary application to expand one of its temporary car parks, pending a feasibility study to build a new permanent solution, including the option of a multi-story car park, over the next few years. This will also be coupled with other infrastructure and enhanced sustainable transport solutions to improve access that Guildford so badly needs.”