PROPOSALS have been put forward to introduce a ‘no stopping at any time except ambulances’ restriction on a section of road outside the Alhambra to help ease the move of NHS facilities into the shopping centre.
Barnsley Council bought the Alhambra - which originally opened in 1991 - two years ago for £4.5m with the support of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA).
The Alhambra is at the forefront of the plans, which are expected to bring in 250,000 people a year.
The venue will transform parts of the shopping centre to create convenient health services within the heart of the town centre and work is well underway on what will be the UK’s largest relocation of hospital outpatient services.
The first floor of the shopping centre will be turned into the health and wellbeing hub, which has seen its first outpatient appointments transfer to Barnsley Hospital’s new satellite centre in the heart of town recently.
Other hospital outpatient services are set to join them as part of a phased opening of the modern, innovative hub which will include services from a range of our health and wellbeing partners.
To help ease the move for NHS services, proposals have been put forward for a ‘no stopping at any time except ambulances’ parking bay on New Street.
The restrictions will be introduced on a trial basis.
A report states: “An experimental traffic regulation order (ETRO) is considered to be the most efficient method to properly assess the changes in parking patterns which are difficult to predict and their impact on road safety.
“An ETRO can be introduced for a maximum duration of up to 18 months and provide a degree of flexibility for restrictions to be introduced on a trial basis with the facility to make changes during the trial period to satisfy the operational needs of users while balancing the need maintain safe movement of traffic.
“Throughout the trial period the head of highways and engineering will monitor the effectiveness of the restrictions, considering any objections or representation received.
“Once the optimum restrictions have been in place for a minimum period of six months, they can then be made permanent, subject to cabinet approval.”
Other options were considered but this has been deemed the best.
The report added: “The flexibility offered by an ETRO allows the public to make representations and offer comments or objections to the restrictions while they are in operation so that, where appropriate, the restrictions can be changed to meet local demands.
“Any objections which are unable to be resolved in this way will form part of the ETRO assessment to be reported to cabinet for consideration.
“Option of a permanent traffic regulation order was considered but should a permanent order be implemented and further changes were required after the restrictions have been introduced, the process to change them is a lengthy one should that be required.
“The use of an experimental order is considered to be the most effective way to achieve delivery of the restrictions with the flexibility to make any changes necessary before the restrictions are made permanent.”
The public can have their say on the plans until December 19.
