STAFF at York Hospital could temporarily lose their on-site car parking spaces if plans to build a new visitor and patient car park get the go-ahead.

Proposals to create a temporary staff car park on disused tennis courts at nearby Bootham Park Hospital have been submitted to City of York Council along with separate plans to create 250 extra spaces above the existing visitor car park.

The temporary 158 parking spaces on the Bootham Park estate would allow staff to park there while visitors and patients could use the existing staff parking next to York Hospital. It would mean minimal reduction in visitor car parking during construction.

This would last for around six months while an extra two levels were built above half the current car park. Fifty per cent of the car park would remain open-air.

However many staff would be forced to find alternative ways into work as the overall staff parking would be temporarily reduced.

Danny Morgan, director of facilities at York Health Services NHS Trust, said he was hoping to increase the number of staff who used bicycles and public transport, if links to the site could be improved, and admitted that parking was going to be difficult for a period of time.

Mr Morgan said the extra car parking at Bootham Park Hospital would not be permanent because the trust had assured the council that staff car parking would not be increased.

He said the tennis courts in question were no longer used by neighbouring schools and had fallen into disrepair. Separate tennis courts on the site were well used by staff.

A hospital spokesman said: "As part of the improvements to the visitors' car park, York Hospital assesses the possibility of providing a temporary overflow car park for staff in the gardens of Bootham Park Hospital.

"It is proposed to extend the capacity of the visitors' car park by decking above the surface level car park.

"But, during this, the existing car park will have to be closed. It is proposed that visitors use the staff car park while construction takes place, and a temporary car park is proposed to make up the shortfall of staff parking spaces."

No date has yet been set for consideration of the plans.

Updated: 10:43 Thursday, March 27, 2003