Construction of Watford General Hospital multi-storey car park underway

The car park, which will include 1,455 spaces, is being built by the current hospital on land which was formerly part of the Farm Terrace Allotments.

West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust says the facility will "significantly improve" access to the hospital, taking away the current issue of walking up and down a steep slope.

There will be an enclosed walkway providing level access from the car park to the hospital, the latter of which is also set to undergo a huge redevelopment.

At the end of May, the trust submitted plans to rebuild Watford General, with capital funding expected from the Government.

Watford General Hospital could be rebuilt in three blocks. Credit: West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust

See more: Plans to redevelop Watford General Hospital submitted - with 17 storey tower

Redevelopment of Watford General, subject to approval, is unlikely to be ready until at least 2025 but the multi-storey car park is scheduled to open in spring 2022.

Photos taken in May show diggers and other machinery is on-site with the first stages of the car park development underway

The multi-storey car park construction site by Watford General Hospital. Credit: Neil Green/Watford Observer Camera Club

Once completed, 1,290 of the 1,455 spaces will be for hospital use, and the car park will be equipped with lifts and stairs, and provide access to wheelchairs to support those with restricted mobility.

The trust says providing modern, accessible and safe car parking facilities at Watford General Hospital is a "long-held goal".

The multi-storey will provide 72 disabled parking bays, almost doubling the total currently available, while there will be charging points for electric vehicles.

A CGI of the new multi-storey car park which shows a level walkway from the car park to the hospital. Credit: West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust

There will also be around 400 more spaces at the hospital outside of the multi-storey.

West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust says it has not finalised plans for charging car park users yet but it says it is committed to reviewing charges and keeping charges "as low as possible", whilst covering the operating costs of the car park.

This concept design shows how close the multi-storey (shaded blue on the right) would be to the proposed new redevelopment buildings at Watford General. Credit: West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust

The new car park will utilise modern technology to enable much more flexible charging and payment options and make entry and exit from the multi-storey quick and easy.

Whilst the actual system has still to be finalised, the trust intends to adopt the principle of payment on exit and provide a range of flexible payment options. Currently, visitors pay on entry to the hospital.

Multi-storey car park construction site in Watford. Credit: Neil Green/Watford Observer Camera Club

The total capital cost for the new facility is £39.2m and the car park is being funded through public dividend capital provided by Her Majesty’s Treasury.

The new car park will be constructed using public finance and once built, it will be owned by the trust.

This year, the trust will tender for a company to manage the multi-storey along with the rest of its car parks in St Albans and Hemel Hempstead.