The new 356-space multi-storey car park will be open to patients and visitors at Freckleton Street, adjacent to the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary (RAEI) on Friday, January, 16.
The development has also created an additional 64 surface spaces for Trust staff and will include 21 disabled parking spaces and 20 electric vehicle charging points.
Former WWL Chair, Mark Jones with CFO, Tabitha Gardner, and Dept Chief Executive, Richard Mundon. (Image: WWL Trust)
Mary Fleming, Chief Executive of Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Car parking is an important part of our patient and visitor experience, and we recognise that struggling to park can be frustrating and worrying for our patients when they are attending our sites for a healthcare appointment or to visit a loved one.
“We are delighted that we can now open this long-awaited facility to patients, visitors, and staff as this development has been very much needed for quite some time. I would like to thank our community and residents who gave us some valuable feedback during the engagement period, and for their support during the construction work.”
The new carpark includes electric vehicle charging provision, supporting the Trust’s progress to become Net Zero, external cladding, which will improve glare by reducing light spill, and an overall safe and secure parking system.
Interior of the multi-story car park (Image: WWL Trust)
Around 60 more parking spaces have already been created for the public at the Trust’s Leigh Infirmary site, and new card payment machines are available at all sites to enable both cash and card payment for car parking.
Tabitha Gardner, Chief Finance Officer said: “We have made great strides with our car parking provision at WWL over the last year, and we want to acknowledge the support we have received from our patients and visitors.
“We understand that parking at our RAEI site can be frustrating, but we hope this fantastic new facility will greatly improve the experience of visiting our sites. I would also like to thank our incredible Estates & Facilities teams who have worked so hard alongside our partners to complete this development in just under a year.”
Royal Albert Edward Infirmary car park (Image: WWL Trust)
Jonathan Houlston, CEO at noviniti, WWL’s appointed developer for the project, said: “It has been a great pleasure for noviniti to work with WWL and GOLDBECK Construction to deliver the new 356 space multi-storey car park at Royal Albert Edward Infirmary.
“This is a significant project for the Trust and will support them in improving the patient and visitor experience at the hospital with a greatly improved parking provision. We would like to thank all involved in the delivery of this exceptional project.”