Plans submitted to extend Causeway Hospital car park amid ongoing parking pressures
- Andrew Balfour (Local Democracy Reporter)
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
Aerial view of the Causeway Hospital site in Coleraine
Plans to extend the car park at Causeway Hospital have been submitted to Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council.
The application, which was recently lodged via the council’s planning portal, seeks permission to extend the existing car parking area in a bid to alleviate ongoing parking pressures at the site.
The proposals also include associated access and circulation works, new lighting, landscaping, and provision for future electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure at the hospital on Newbridge Road.
The proposed extension soon would provide around 130 parking spaces at the hospital site.
Site plan showing proposed car park extension (in grey) to the rear of the Causeway Hospital
An accompanying Design and Access Statement states that there is currently a “clear and persistent shortfall” in on-site car parking relative to the hospital’s operational requirements.
“At peak times, typically all formal spaces can regularly be occupied and parking demand significantly exceeds supply,” the Statement said.
It added that this under-provision of parking spaces has resulted in obstructive and informal parking along internal access roads, verges and turning heads, as well as in locations not designed or marked for parking.
The Statement further highlights risks to road safety and emergency access, including localised narrowing of carriageways, interference with visibility splays, and obstruction at junctions and service access points.
Proposed location of car park extension at Causeway Hospital in Coleraine.
It also notes conflict between vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, where vehicles park on or encroach onto footways and shared surfaces.
“These operational issues are directly related to the overall volume of vehicles generated by the hospital’s essential services, and the lack of existing on-site car parking to accommodate those vehicles during peak periods,” the Statement concluded.