Report re Northern General Hospital Outcome of Scrutiny Process

CULTURE, ECONOMY AND SUSTAINABILITY SCRUTINY AND
POLICY DEVELOPMENT BOARD


Meeting held 13th April, 2007

PRESENT:		Councillors Peter Price (Chair), Marjorie Barker, Sylvia Dunkley, Martin Lawton, Alf Meade, Tim Rippon and Rosemary Telfer.

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1.	APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE FROM MEMBERS OF THE BOARD
	Apologies for absence were received from Councillors David Baker, Jillian Creasy and Graham Oxley.

2.	DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST AND PARTY WHIPPING
	There were no declarations of interest or party whipping by Members of the Board.

3.	PUBLIC QUESTIONS AND PETITIONS
	There were no questions or petitions from members of the public other than those questions asked as part of the Board’s consideration of Item 4 of these minutes.

4.	NORTHERN GENERAL HOSPITAL: TRAVEL PLANS, SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT AND NEIGHBOURHOOD IMPACTS ON FIR VALE
	The Head of Transport and Highways, Development Services, and Burngreave Area Co-ordinator submitted a joint report referring to the various decisions of the Board at its meeting on 9th November, 2006, relating to various parking problems on residential streets around the Northern General Hospital which had caused concerns to residents and had identified the need to address the problems through a combination of temporary traffic management measures and a sustainable Travel Plan to be produced by the Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. The report provided an overview of traffic management measures taken on Herries Road, Norwood Road, in the Crabtree area and Barnsley Road, together with an evaluation of their success, current Council policy with respect to the criteria used for the designation of areas where Residents Parking Schemes could be introduced and the progress made in developing and implementing a Travel Plan for staff employed at the Northern General Hospital. Mention was also made in the report of the consultations held with local people through a Liaison Group established under the auspice of the Burngreave Area Panel, which was chaired by the Panel's Chair (Councillor Ibrar Hussain) and which had considered traffic management issues, the anticipated impact of a proposed multi-storey car park at the hospital, air quality in Fir Vale and a variety of other matters.
	An assessment was made in the report of the progress made in securing planning permission for a proposed multi-storey car park on the Northern General Hospital site and the impact on the air quality in the Fir Vale area arising from the large amount of traffic travelling to and from the hospital. Also included in the report were a number of policy conclusions on how the Council might instigate action which would address issues which had arisen relating to matters concerning access to and from the hospital both for staff and visitors and their implications for local residents.
	In attendance at the meeting to assist the Board in its consideration of the matters were:-

	Councillor Ibrar Hussain, Chair of the Burngreave Area Panel

	Andy Shallice, Burngreave Panel Area Co-ordinator

	John Watts, Director of Human Resources, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

	Kevin O'Regan, Director of Hotel Services, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

	John Bann, Head of Transport and Highways, City Council

	Simon Botterill and Paul Sullivan, Transport and Highways, City Council

	Bernd Hoermann, Environmental Services, City Council

	Mike Holmes, South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive

	The Head of Transport and Highways, informed the Board that the Cabinet at its meeting on 22nd November, 2006, had accepted the principle of providing permit parking areas around the City, beyond the current Peripheral Parking Zone for the City Centre and had acknowledged the particular problems being experienced by residents around the Northern General Hospital. However, a pilot scheme would be introduced for suburban parking in the Hillsborough area in light of that area’s District Shopping Centre status, College Football Stadium and Transport Interchanges and lessons learnt from this pilot would inform the development of similar schemes elsewhere in the City. He added that residents were keen to see a multi-storey car park built on the Northern General Hospital site and felt that there should be some contribution from the Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust towards a Residents’ Parking Scheme which the majority of residents had supported. He added that a planning application for the multi-storey car park was not yet valid as the Council was awaiting a range of documentation including the Hospital's Travel Plan and Parking Plan. Meetings would be held with consultants to discuss these matters as part of their development of such a planning application.
	Simon Botterrill, Transport and Highways, informed the Board of experimental traffic and parking measures introduced in key streets around the Northern General Hospital including (a) the provision of double yellow lines on the upward side of Herries Road and the removal of double white lines in the middle of the road which would facilitate the readjustment of highway space to provide for two wide lanes up and down Herries Road as well as providing some parking on the hospital side of the highway (b) the temporary provision of single yellow lines on one side of the highway at Norwood Road which facilitated two-way traffic and the re -introduction of buses on that Road and (c) the issue of a Child Safety Zone in 2007/08 at Barnsley Road which was causing general problems for pedestrians. He indicated that no traffic management measures had been implemented on the Crabtree estate as parking problems in that area had temporarily reduced, but that problems had now re-occurred and officers would re-examine the issue. He added that the parking restrictions implemented at Norwood Road were temporary and discussions would be held with residents regarding their permenancy.
	Paul Sullivan, Transport and Highways, indicated that the Trust, with advice from Council Officers, had made significant steps towards the implementation of a sustainable Travel Plan the implementation of which would be guided by an Action Plan containing specific time lines. Council Officers had also discussed with representatives of the Trust the funding of the Plan and revenue funding had now been secured for a Travel Plan Co-ordinator. The salary for the post now needed to be established. Further talks were being held with the consultants regarding the travel-related supporting documents to accompany the planning application for the multi-storey car park. The Trust were now seeking a capital budget for the Travel Plan measures. Copies of the STH Travel Plan were circulated to members of the Board.
	Andy Shallice, Burngreave Area Co-ordinator, referred to figures which had been compiled by the Environmental Strategy Section of the Council and provided the average levels of nitrogen dioxide levels in areas across the City details of which were detailed in Appendix 4(a) of the report. He indicated that average measurements over the last three years had shown Barnsley Road and Upwell Street to be consistently above the 40 microgram's per cubic metre maximum Government guidance for acceptable air quality. He also referred to the measurements taken by the City Council's Environmental Strategy Officers, in partnership with the East End Quality of Life Initiative, which showed the levels of nitrogen oxide at Owler Lane, Barnsley Road to have exceeded Government guidelines at certain times over the past three years. The Joint Liaison Group had received a presentation in March, 2007, on air quality and the impact of traffic passing through the Fir Vale area to and from the Northern General Hospital. He indicated that the policy conclusions within paragraphs 51 to 55 of the report provided useful lessons which might be learnt from the experience of those living in the area of the Northern General Hospital which could have City-wide importance.
	He also referred to a survey by local residents on Norwood Road which had resulted in a response rate of 37% (37 responses having been received out of 100) and which had showed that from within a range of options, the majority of residents had favoured an option which would see the removal of restrictions and the provision of residential parking on both sides of Norwood Road, although there was a spread of opinion across all five options which had been presented to the residents of Norwood Road.
	John Watts, Director of Human Resources, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, indicated that the Travel Plan had now been given approval by the Trust's Board and its revenue consequences agreed. It was hoped to approve further capital spending in the near future. He added that the charges made of staff using the hospital's car parking would not be increased this year and this would assist in encouraging staff to park within the car parks provided by the hospital. The new Hadfield Wing of the Hospital had recently been completed and this would allow for the decanting of the Vickers Ward and provide the Trust with the opportunity to demolish old ward buildings and create a potential 200 new car parking spaces. At the current time, there were no outstanding requests for car parking permits from staff.
	Councillor Ibrar Hussain, Chair of the Burngreave Area Panel, thanked local residents for attending and contributing to discussions at the Liaison Group as well as representatives of the hospital who had responded positively to residents concerns. He suggested that, whilst the problems had calmed to a certain extent, there were still issues to be addressed in the Crabtree area and parking problems on one side of Norwood Road and the majority of residents had indicated that investigations should be made into a Residents' Parking Scheme on that road. He added that further traffic management measures were ideally required on Herries Road and Barnsley Road and Bolsover Road/Idsworth Road and that, in terms of any Residents' Parking Scheme, there was a need for residents to recognise that there would be a cost implication to them and this needed to be clearly explained. He indicated that, prior to the consideration of a Residents' Parking Scheme proper, extensive consultations should be held on the matter through the Burngreave Area Panel and that the Liaison Group should continue as a means of co-ordinating action by the Area Panel, Officers, representatives of the Northern General Hospital and residents on the progression of the Travel Plan.
	A local resident of Norwood Road expressed his appreciation of the help that the hospital had provided in terms of parking congestion but indicated that some residents were still unable to park outside their own houses or access their driveways at certain times. Parking congestion also provided dangers to local residents, both as pedestrians and as motorists driving out of their driveways. He suggested that due consideration should be given to a Residents' Parking Scheme as the area was approximately the same distance as the areas in which such schemes already existed such as Broomhill and that the hospital should pay for the implementation of such a scheme. He added that, if residents were unable to park outside their own house, then they should be eligible for a reduction in their Council Tax and he stressed that action was required in the immediate future to deal with this continual problem for local residents. He suggested that Members of the Board should visit Norwood Road to see the problems at first hand.
	In response John Bann, Head of Transport and Highways, indicated that the issues raised by Councillor Hussain, including the provision of a Child Safety Zone at Herries Road and Barnsley Road and other traffic management measures would be considered by officers in developing a scheme. The law relating to the highway did not provide guarantees for residents to park outside their homes and Residents' Parking Schemes were not a service provided free of charge and would be the subject of a charge per household or indirectly through the Council Tax. Those within the Scheme who did not have a car but wished visitors to park outside their homes would be required to pay a small amount to obtain visitors permits. The City's Peripheral Parking Zone had been extended in light of the impact of staff employed at the Central Hospitals and University of Sheffield parking their cars in certain suburbs and walking into work and it was recognised that similar problems existed around the Northern General Hospital which could justify the implementation of a Residents' Parking Zone. However, such a Scheme would need to be taken account of against priorities across the City. It was felt that the pilot at Hillsborough provided a test bed for the introduction of Residents' Parking Schemes across the City and the Council would learn from the experience of such a Scheme. However, the implementation of further Schemes depended on resources which was a critical factor.
	Members asked a number of questions and raised issues regarding whether the Council's Parking Enforcement Officers could be used to enforce parking restrictions on Norwood Road, was the City exceeding the air quality standards set by the European Union as well as the United Kingdom Government, would parking problems referred to on the Crabtree Estate be addressed during 2007/08, what provision was there to reduce the number of journeys between the Central Hospital sites and the Northern General Hospital, what discussions had taken place with patients and visitors who were particularly affected by poor public transport and limited parking and had the Trust discussed with its clients, whether visitors would be able to use the multi-storey car park and what were the proposed charging levels for the proposed car park as this could have an impact on whether visitors to the hospital would choose to park on residential roads around the hospital.
	Bernd Hoermann, Environmental Services, responded that the latest EU Directive permitted only 40 micrograms of nitrogen dioxide per cubic metre, above which the Council could be subject to a legal challenge/action. Simon Botterill confirmed that the problems being experienced in the Crabtree area would be addressed this financial year.
	Kevin O'Regan, Director of Hotels, Sheffield Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, indicated that the shuttle bus service between hospital sites was still in operation between 7.00 a.m. and 6.00 p.m. and ran every 30 minutes, stopping to pick up passengers at Owlerton Stadium. The Trust had invested in a larger bus at a cost of £166,000 and this had proved to be very successful in increasing the number of staff who used the bus. It was now possible for members of the public to travel on the bus for a small charge of £1. Consultations had been held with stakeholders, including staff, through the usual staff consultative channels and the Patients’ Council with whom the Trust shared information, along with the Burngreave Area Panel in order to ascertain their views on the Travel Plan. There was a need to make on-going improvements to communications between the hospital and members of the public to draw their attention to the possibility of their using, if possible, other modes of transport other than the private car for journeys to and from the Hospital and the help of other organisations needed to be enlisted in order to promote such measures as Park and Ride facilities. Indeed, the Travel Plan had identified the need for a change of use from the private car journey to and from hospital as critical to the Plan's success.
	Further questions were asked regarding whether the consultation process with staff regarding car parking charges and the issue of permits had improved, had the Roadshow with the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive on 27th March, 2007 on staff personalised travel plans been well attended and did the Trust agree that the general parking charge of £2.20 for a period of up to four hours provided a disincentive to visitors using the car parks for a much lesser period.
	In response Kevin O'Regan stated that there had been significant consultations with staff regarding the level of parking charges and full agreement had been reached with them regarding the level of charges and the criteria for parking permits. Action was now being taken to review the position on the Central Hospital Campus site in order to achieve harmonisation with the Northern General Hospital site. Details of the Travel Plan were included on the Trust's website and a considerable number of comments had been received on the Plan. Whilst the Travel Plan had been approved through the usual Committee Forums the views expressed by members of the public through a number of avenues had been taken into account. An Action Plan was being prepared to take account of the different facilities which existed at the Central Hospital Campus and the Northern General site. The Trust had acknowledged that there was a need to ensure that the Travel Plan was capable of adapting to changing circumstances and periodic reviews of the Plan would be carried out. Discussions with the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive had proved to be fruitful and common agreement had been reached on the steps that needed to be taken to encourage people to change the way they travelled. Attendance at the recent Roadshow had been good.He indicated that car parking changes at the Northern General site would increase to £2.25 for a period up to four hours and he felt that this rate compared very favourably with car parking charges in and around the City, other Cities and other hospitals.
	A Member of the Board welcomed the progress made in alleviating the traffic management and parking problems around the Northern General Hospital and the production of the Travel Plan. However, there was a need to review the Plan annually and to encourage more sustainable forms of transport to and from the hospital. More car parking or cheaper car parking charges were not the answer to the problems and a piece of work needed to be done to identify those staff who walked, cycled or used public transport to and from the hospital and to increase these activities which would be crucial to reducing car journeys to and from the site and associated residential parking problems.
	RESOLVED: That (a) this Board supports the continuation of the joint Northern General Hospital/Residents' Liaison Group as a means of dealing with residents concerns regarding the parking issues now raised such as those encountered on Norwood Road;
	(b) the Travel Plans produced by the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation NHS Trust be welcomed and that the Trust be informed of the Board's view that Plan should be used as the basis for long-term consultation with the local community and staff in order to address changing circumstances; and
	(c) the Head of Transport and Highways be requested to (i) undertake surveys, in partnership with the Burngreave Area Panel, to identify the possible geographical parameters of a Residents' Parking Scheme and the extent of local support for such a Scheme and (ii) report back to the Board in six months' together with representatives of the Trust, time on the progress made on the outstanding issues raised by local residents, including initial work on a Residents' Parking Scheme and an analysis of performance against targets set in the Trust's Travel Action Plan.

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