Work begins on Calderdale Royal Hospital car park expansion with 400 extra spaces
A major car park expansion is underway at Calderdale Royal Hospital. It comes as the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust continues to transform its services.
Construction on the revamped car park, frequently required by Huddersfield residents visiting the hospital, began on August 11, with a ground breaking ceremony held to recognise the milestone.
Works are expected to last 12 months and will yield an extra 400 extra parking spaces.
Once completed, there will be more than 800 parking spaces in total at Calderdale Royal Hospital, which includes the other car parks on site. Included in the plans are electric car charging points, extra blue badge spaces, cycle parking facilities and 24/7 CCTV.
The Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT) says that the car park has been designed to honour the town’s heritage, complimenting notable buildings which distinctly link to Halifax’s rich history. It also includes a specially designed façade in keeping with the local area.
Ahead of construction, work took place to ensure the landscaping around the car park has a positive impact on the local environment. The Trust says biodiversity has been promoted in the design, including a significant increase in hedgerows and habitats for wildlife to thrive.
Brendan Brown, Chief Executive, Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It is an exciting milestone to be able to see building work on the next stage of the car park. We know it will make a huge difference to our patients, visitors and colleagues at Calderdale Royal Hospital.
“I would like to say thank you to everyone for their support and understanding as we have been preparing the site for construction. The extensive enabling work which has been happening over the past 12 months included removing live services, and providing electricity for the new car park, preparation work which people may not have been able to see happening as it’s largely below ground.
“We will be sharing lots of updates as construction progresses.”
The new multi-storey car park is part of the Foundations for our Future programme, which is the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust’s long-term vision to transform its services across the two areas. The new A&E at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary also came as part of the programme.
By 2029, both Calderdale and Huddersfield hospitals will have 24/7 consultant led A&E services, with planned care located in Huddersfield and unplanned, or ‘acute’ services in Calderdale.