Residents living near Nottingham City Hospital have slammed "terrible" parking on a road where some are resorting to placing cones and wheelie bins across the pavement. Some living on Alderton Road in the Edwards Lane estate in the north of Sherwood have decided to take matters into their own hands, putting obstacles in the road to stop motorists from parking outside their house.
Some NCT buses have had to divert due to the problem, which appears to have arisen after free parking for NHS staff was scrapped at Nottingham City Hospital. However, some locals and NHS staff have asked where else they are supposed to park, as they attempt to find a road near the hospital which is safe and free for them to leave their car.
On a previous visit, Nottinghamshire Live witnessed residents putting wheelie bins outside their homes to deter cars - a second visit found cones were being used for a similar reason. Trevor Horner, who lives on Alderton Road, said: "I had to get my car out this morning to make sure my driveway wasn't blocked in. They park on both sides of the road and there is hardly any space for cars to get through sometimes.
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"I've been here for 20 odd years but it's got a lot worse since people have had to pay to park in the hospital again. It's like this every day - it's terrible. I've heard people walk down here and say 'I wouldn't like to live here with all this going on'. People are struggling to get in and out of their houses."
Hayley, who didn't want her second name published but has lived on Alderman for the past 11 years, told Nottinghamshire Live: "It's been a nightmare, honestly. Before Covid it was pretty bad as well but it died down when they made parking free - but that has all changed now.
"Sometimes I can't even get onto the driveway. It's especially bad at the junction - someone crashed there this morning, in fact. It always happens."
On resident, who lives on nearby Archdale Road and wished to stay anonymous, said: "It's a nightmare - it's always been a concern for people here, but right now it's really, really bad. Trying to get out safely and onto the road can be really hard."
Will Hyme, 28, who was walking his dog, said: "Yeah there are a lot of cars here, but NHS staff are well within their rights to park here so I don't think people can complain unless they're parked up dangerously or something like that.
"What are they supposed to do? I think they should have free parking, but they don't so they have to park somewhere. This is not a permit zone and is near the hospital. It makes a lot of sense."
Indeed, hospital workers in Nottingham have said they feel like they are being "kicked in the teeth" by their bosses and the public over the ongoing issue. Some NHS workers, who were allowed to park for free throughout the pandemic, have been left waiting for years for a parking permit, which is the only way they can park onsite.
A spokesperson for Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the City Hospital, said: "We apologise to any residents who have been inconvenienced by staff parking on their streets. Staff who do not have a parking permit have access to a range of subsidised travel options including our free Medilink Bus, which serves all our hospital sites, or can use the staff travel to work scheme to get discounts on local public transport.
"We do not condone any illegal parking and If legal offsite parking is absolutely necessary our expectations of staff is to always be considerate to those living there."
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