FRESH concerns have been raised about the lack of parking for patients, staff and visitors to Scotland's newest multi-million hospital just weeks before it is due to open.
Defence contractor Thales, which is based near the new £842 million New South Glasgow University Hospital, has warned that proposals for a temporary car park opposite the site will cause "intolerable congestion" for motorists.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) have applied for planning permission to create a temporary 584 space car park at Linthouse Road, a 15 minutes walk from the new Southern hospitals site, amid fears of a parking shortfall when the facility fully opens this summer.
Thales Optronics, who employ around 630 staff at their headquarters and main production facility in the street, have urged Glasgow City Council to reject the application on the grounds that it will have and adverse impact on road safety and traffic flow in the area near the Clyde Tunnel.
Motoring and cyclist campaigners have previously warned that the key commuter route faces gridlock when the workforce at the expanded hospital site balloons from 4,790 to 10,561 from June.
In a letter to council planners, Thales complained that ongoing works to replace the existing roundabout at the junction between Linthouse Road and Govan Road with traffic lights will "significantly diminish traffic flows when completed".
The proposed car park would only exacerbate the problem, they added.
The letter stated: "The new car park would significantly increase traffic volume on Linthouse Road and cause unacceptable delays to vehicle movements on the new junction...large numbers of cars will tail back along both Govan and Linthouse Road."
Thales, which designs and manufactures military lasers and infra-red cameras, said they would never have complained if the traffic lights were not being installed.
The letter continued: "If the original roundabout were still in position the proposed temporary car park would not have triggered an objection from ourselves ...With the new road junction however, the proposed car park will cause intolerable congestion and we firmly object."
Nurses union, RCN Scotland, have warned that the lack of parking and the stress having to travel to the new site by public transport was leading some of their members to quit.
A 2,500 capacity multi-storey car park for permit-holding staff and visitors will be in place in time for the hospital opening, but that is around 1000 spaces short of requirements. A further 1000 spaces will be added in 2016, but the temporary car park at Linthouse Road was intended to partially cover the shortfall for 18 months.
The intervention from Thales comes after another objection from Stirling-based construction firm, Ogilvie, who already own a 700 space car park yards from the hospital which they wanted to open commercially at a flat rate of £3 per day.
It finally opened to the public last week after repeated requests from Southern General staff to use it.
The facility will replace the Victoria and Western Infirmaries, Yorkhill hospital, old Southern General and Mansionhouse Unit, with the first departments going live from April 24.
A spokeswoman for Glasgow City Council said a decision on the temporary car park application was expected before the end of March.
She added that locals firms and residents were notified about the traffic lights during consultation events held at the Pearce Institute and Camponile Hotel in June 2013, advertised beforehand in "in the Evening Times, radio Clyde and two local radio stations in Govan". A statutory consultation followed in January 2014.
Meanwhile, Stagecoach has submitted an application to begin running "Fastlink" bus services between West George Street in Glasgow and the new Southern from May 4. The X1 service will run seven days a week, from 5.15am on weekdays and 6am at weekends, until 11.30pm. It will operate every 10 minutes during the day and every 20 minutes at night and on Sundays.
Greenock-based McGill's is to runn 12 Fastlink buses an hour on the route starting from May 11. It will operate from 6am until midnight, seven days a week.
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