Hospital parking under the spotlight

Car parking charges could double at the hospital

Car parking fees for visitors to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital may be doubled to help fund a £17m modernisation project.

Hospital officials are also looking at ways of adopting a different charging system and consulting motorists about the hospital's parking problems, especially for those using the outpatients department.

Visitors using the car parks currently pay a standard charge of £1 but that will go up to £2 if the hospital's trust board give their approval to the new charge on Tuesday.

An increase should bring in an estimated £300,000 a year which will be used towards the cost of building new wards and other facilities on the north side of the hospital.

They will replace the dilapidated wartime buildings on the south side.

The idea of a variable charging system is also being considered together with ways of improving car park security.