HOSPITAL workers were on the warpath today after council chiefs slapped a £2-a-day charge on a car-park littered with broken glass.

Dozens of nurses, other staff and health trust managers at Blackburn Royal Infirmary, who use the nearby Ivy Street car park because there is nowhere else to leave their cars, have been left furious by the move.

Nurse Pat Toner, who travels to work from Darwen, said: "It is adding £10 a week onto the cost of coming to work and there is nothing we can do, because by the time we arrive the hospital car park is full."

Colleague Sarah Chadwick, of Preston, added: "We all think these charges are disgusting, not least because the hospital seem to be able to offer manned car parking all day for just 50p where the council are charging £2. "Nobody would mind paying 50p but we honestly can't see where £2 a day is going. The car park is still full of broken glass and no one is getting a receipt or ticket when they pay."

The charges were introduced at the car park when signs and a booth appeared overnight.

Problems with parking in the area are long-standing and local residents have permits enabling them to park on surrounding streets exclusively.

But visitors and staff at the hospital argue that some of these spaces could be used during the day when most residents are at work.

Mrs Chadwick went on: "As we arrive a lot of residents have either gone or are going to work and all these spaces are empty but we can't use them."

And Mrs Toner added: "Perhaps if the council were to allow us to use one side of each street or something similar the problem would be eased all round."

John Dell, operations manager for Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust, said: "We are aware that the staff are very upset and we will be writing to the council to see if they can move from the current situation.

"We are extremely concerned at the very high figure of £2. We charge 50p, which we consider to be reasonable. There is also the residents-only parking scheme around the infirmary, which exacerbates the problem."

Danny Gordon, manager at the nearby Warwick and Bailey and engineering company, said his staff were disgusted with the introduction of the charge.

He said: "Not only does it affect my staff as regards parking their cars, but it also means lots of people are parking on Hall Road instead of the car park, meaning we cannot get wagons through to make deliveries." Director of community, leisure and culture at Blackburn with Darwen Council Eddie Runswick, said they had introduced charges in response to complaints from people concerned about the safety of their vehicles.

He added: "Due to a lack of spaces in the area, parking on Ivy Street car park is often indiscriminate and dangerous, including parking on the 'cobbled sets' and the landscaped areas surrounding the car park.

"The borough council is anxious to work closely with the contractor managing the car park to provide a safe and secure environment."

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