THE leader of St Albans Labour group has slammed the hike in hospital car parking charges.

Yesterday the West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which manages the city hospital, announced parking for patients and visitors would rise by 50 pence from Monday, June 14.

The trust's chief executive Jan Filochowski said the price increase was a “very difficult decision” but maintained it would ensure costs are not diverted away from patient care.

However Councillor Martin Leach has described the move as a “short sighted view”.

Nationally Labour were campaigning for NHS hospital car parking charges to be scrap and in September last year Andy Burnham, who was then health secretary, announced the party would abolish the charges within three years.

Councillor Leach told the Review: “It's not going to make things better. Really for th hospital what it should be looking at is getting a multi-storey car park.

“Increasing the charges is a short sighted view and if they have to charge with more people parking in a multi-storey they will re-coup their money.

“In an ideal situation they would not have any charges and it's a shame prices have to be put up.”

Residents living in streets close to the hospital have been campaigning for parking restrictions to be introduced in the area.

They say many visitors to the Waverley Road hospital park use streets such as Batchwood View, Alban Way, Margaret Avenue and Eleanor Avenue because they refuse to pay the charges.

This leaves the majority of residents, who have lodged petitions with the district council, unable to park outside their own homes.

Councillor Leach said a consultation into residents permits for the mentioned roads is currently in its final stages.