BRADFORD Royal Infirmary has unveiled plans to create more car parking spaces in a bid to alleviate congestion in the area.

A spokesman for the trust which runs the hospital said it recognised its impact on the surrounding streets and wanted to be a “considerate neighbour” by reducing it.

But one local councillor said he doubted the move would solve the serious problems faced by nearby residents.

The Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has lodged a planning application with Bradford Council, asking for permission to add 104 spaces at various points across its sites at either side of Smith Lane.

Many of the new parking spaces will be created by the removal of grass verges and other green areas around existing car parks.

There would be no changes to the existing access points.

The trust’s director of estates and facilities, Paul Featherstone, said: “The application is to create 104 new car parking spaces within the boundaries of Bradford Royal Infirmary’s existing Smith Lane car park.

“There are currently a number of unused areas within the car park, and the layout of the existing spaces could also be better organised.

“The Trust appreciates the impact of car users on the surrounding neighbourhood and is keen to reduce this and be a considerate neighbour.

“We feel that these additional 104 spaces will go some way to helping achieve this.”

Residents-only parking schemes have been set up in many of the nearby streets to allow residents to park outside their homes, but critics say this just pushes the problem further out.

The planning application acknowledges that the BRI’s existing car parks currently struggle to accommodate all visitors and staff.

It says: “The demand on the existing car parking available to staff and visitors is, at times, strained and during peak times there is a requirement to increase the existing car parking capacity across the site.”

But one local councillor said he feared the new spaces wouldn’t address the problem.

Councillor Arshad Hussain (Lab, Toller) said he first wanted to see BRI provide free parking for its staff instead of charging them for permits.

He said most of the complaints he received from residents were about hospital staff parking inconsiderately or blocking people’s driveways to avoid having to pay the parking charges, while staff parking spaces lay empty.

He said: “Okay, it’s all well and good they are creating 100-odd parking spaces but they need to accommodate their own staff first.”

Cllr Hussain said he would be seeking a meeting with hospital bosses in the coming weeks to discuss the matter.