Broomfield Hospital's £120 million redevelopment is not dealing with the traffic congestion it will create.

That is the claim of a Chelmsford councillor, who raised his concerns during a planning meeting discussing a proposal for a multi-storey car park at the site.

The planning committee of Chelmsford Council gave approval to the 700 additional car parking spaces at the site increasing parking from an agreed 1,836 spaces to 2,536.

But Bill Horslen (Lab, Marconi) told the meeting: "The transport infrastructure should be growing as it meets the demand - not a wait and see approach."

But his comments were dismissed by Neil Gulliver, the council's cabinet member for planning and transport, who said Essex County Council was taking a "measured approach".

"It is difficult to build the infrastructure until we know where the houses in the area will be built."

Andrew Pike, chief executive of the Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust, said the Trust had responded to comments made following the approval of the masterplan for the Broomfield site.

Published Thursday, September 16, 2004

Brought to you by the Evening Gazette