Work on a £2million hospital car park project has begun in Bury St Edmunds in a bid to stop queuing patients and clogged up residential roads.

At busy times of the day many West Suffolk Hospital patients had to queue to find a space, while some of the hundreds of hospital staff members would often park in surrounding streets.

To resolve this West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust announced plans for 400 additional parking spaces on their site last year, and contractors have now started work on phase one.

The extra spaces for both staff and patients will be available from December this year.

Craig Black, executive director of resources at the hospital trust, said: “We appreciate that parking at the hospital has been an issue for some time, with patients, visitors and staff having difficulty finding spaces during peak periods.

“The scheme has been carefully planned to make the most of the limited space available. It will be fully covered by CCTV and low level lighting, which automatically reduces by 50% after 8pm, while we will also use a noise-reducing surface to minimise the impact on our neighbours.”

The issue of parking in surrounding streets has “plagued” local residents for years, as demand for the hospital grew.

Sarah Stamp, St Edmundsbury Borough Councillor for the Hardwick area, said: “I really welcome the news that work is soon to begin on this much needed extra parking provision at the hospital.

“Hopefully this expansion will make things easier for patients, staff and visitors but will also improve things for local residents who have been plagued by related parking issues for some time.

“I’ll be monitoring the impact of the extra spaces closely but would like to congratulate the hospital for taking such positive action.”

Contractors moved onto site last week to begin preparatory work for phase one of the project, which will see 110 permanent spaces developed so that a temporary car park, which also provides 110 spaces, can be shut.

Once this phase is complete in August, work to add an additional 400 spaces will begin, taking the total across the hospital site to just under 1,800. This new car park will be opposite the staff residences on the route off the site, and will include land previously taken by the temporary car park.