Harrogate Committee first made the decision about the two-storey car park, after debating of the effect it would have on local residents and visitors to the hospital. It was passed by 11 votes to two, with two abstentions.
Philip Hopper, whose home is on Lancaster Park Road, and overlooks the hospital, commented “Lancaster Road is always busy. The local bus even stopped as it could not get through all the traffic.” He feels that the council should focus on making the hospital more accessible from the road, rather than making more parking spaces.
The council assured local residents that the two-storey car park was the best plan out of 16. A spokesman for the council went on to say they are creating a travel route around the hospital, which would encourage staff, patients and visitors to walk, cycle or use public transport to access the hospital and hopefully reduce the traffic on Lancaster Park Road.
Having approved the car park the councillors moved on to consider the Cancer Centre. There were concerns that the building would be too big for the area, and that the trees on Wetherby Road would have to be destroyed, which would lose screening. However, after being reassured that the building would be as small as possible, and more plants would be planted to cover the building, the councillors unanimously granted permission for the development.
The money for the Cancer centre has been part-funded by Sir Robert Ogden and Macmillan Cancer Support who have both donated generously by giving £3.5. The remaining £2m has been provided by Harrogate and District NHS foundation Trust.
The centre will mean that cancer patients will no longer have to travel to Leeds for critical treatment. They are also making the centre child friendly so the unfortunate children who have to have treatment, or whose parents are having treatment will not feel completely out of their comfort zone.
Karen Snowton, 48, a breast cancer survivor and previous patient at Harrogate Hospital, who had to be referred to Leeds supported the centre. “I think this new centre will be great for cancer sufferers in Harrogate. It means they will get quicker referral. It is great ideas to make it child friendly as hospitals are scary places even for adults.”
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