It’s back to the future for Christchurch hospital carpark users.

The Christchurch hospital park-and-ride site is set to return to the Deans Ave site.

Currently, hospital users are forced to drive to the Lichfield Street Christchurch City Council car park, park their car, and wait for a shuttle to drop them at the hospital.

In a resource consent by Fulton Hogan, and granted by the Christchurch City Council, the application includes the construction and operation of a car parking lot comprising 350 at-grade car parks on a 1ha portion of 25 Deans Avenue.

“The car park is limited in use to Canterbury District Health Board staff and patients and visitors to Christchurch Hospital.”

The proposed car parking lot is intended to have a limited duration (five years) and is not part of a permanent activity occurring on the site.

Canterbury District Health Board Chief Executive David Meates says while Christchurch City Council has approved a resource consent application in the name of Canterbury DHB on behalf of a private developer to develop land at 25 Deans Ave, the consenting process is not yet complete as all of the necessary consents for development activity to commence have not been obtained.

 “It should be noted that the DHB is not directly involved in this process.”

 “The development of the site will only go ahead if final sign-off for the work to progress is received.”

 “There are a number of potential benefits of a relocation of the service to the Deans Ave site. These include proximity to the hospital, a guaranteed number of parks and the potential for additional assigned parking for staff.”

“Canterbury DHB is not funded for, and does not expect to own and operate a new car parking site. The Ministry of Health remains responsible for providing a new car park for Christchurch Hospital.”