PLANS which could finally put an end to traffic queues at York Hospital were this week being submitted to city planners.

After months of consultation and feasibility studies, York Health Services NHS Trust was submitting plans to City of York Council to build a deck on top of the hospital's existing car park.

The scheme would create a two-floor car park and provide up to 250 extra spaces.

It could mean the end of long queues in Wigginton Road as patients and visitors make their way to the hospital site.

The trust has come under fire from frustrated patients and visitors over the past five years because of the lack of parking on the site.

At a trust board meeting last September, the chairman, Professor Alan Maynard, described the situation as "intolerable", and said that patients were often turning up stressed and late for appointments because of the parking problems.

Today Danny Morgan, director of facilities at the trust, said he was thrilled that the application was ready for submission.

He said a lot of work had been carried out to ensure that the application was right and if all goes to plan work would start as soon as possible.

Jonathan Carr, area development control officer at City of York Council, said the application would go to committee and would probably be dealt with within three months.

Updated: 10:48 Wednesday, March 05, 2003