THE chief executive of the Airedale NHS Foundation Trust wants our views on plans for a multi-storey car park at Airedale Hospital. We only have until Monday, September 16 to reply.  (Views sought on plans for multi-storey car park at hospital, Craven Herald online, September 2). 

When you read the survey, you will be told that “we need to build a multi-storey car park” and that “We expect that most of the parking for the new hospital will be in a multi-storey car park” and “We are also interested in hearing what would make it easier to travel to the hospital by public transport or by cycling or walking.”

So, a multi storey car park looks nailed-on! Wouldn’t it be great though if it was built below the hospital rather than on acres of tarmacked- land? There would then be more open space, more green space. The current hospital is hugely spread out. If the new one had a smaller footprint, say halved, so that we didn’t have to walk so far to appointments then surely a couple of floors of parking would provide many spaces as well as some safe, undercover cycle parking.

How great would it be if also a new rail station was built next to the site? Patients, visitors and staff would then have a greener and far easier option of getting there. Given that one-third of North Yorkshire residents don’t have access to a car, many people have to travel there by bus or train already if they can’t get a lift or afford a taxi. Using the train to Airedale involves over a mile long walk each way from the nearest station which isn’t great if you are old or poorly. A new station integrated with the hospital would encourage active travel, cut pollution and traffic, as well as ease parking problems around the hospital.

Whatever happens, we all need the hospital re-built, as soon as possible. It is inconceivable that the new Labour government will refuse to do so. The government can borrow as much money as it needs, as governments always have done no matter what the new chancellor tries to tell us. Public-private partnerships such as PFI have fleeced the public purse at high interest rates when the government can always borrow the money or issue bonds at a far cheaper cost than involving the private sector.

Cllr David Noland

North Yorkshire Council

Skipton North & Embsay with Eastby Division

Skipton