GP surgeries and health centres.

Patient and staff parking, accessible bays close to the entrance, drop-off for patients who are driven, walking and bus routes, and servicing including clinical waste collection.

• Patient and staff numbers through the day.
• Parking accumulation and accessible parking provision.
• Walking and public transport accessibility.
• Servicing and ambulance access.

These often move into former shops or houses. Comparing the appointment pattern with the existing use, and showing where clients will park, keeps the assessment proportionate.

• A Transport Statement or Assessment covering patients and staff.
• A parking assessment based on appointments.
• Access for ambulances and patient transport.
• Accessible parking and drop-off near the entrance.
• A Travel Plan for staff.

A typical case is a new health centre combining two GP practices and a pharmacy. The council asks about patient parking at the busiest clinic times. We use appointment data from the existing practices to show arrivals by hour, size the car park for the peak, and provide accessible bays and a drop-off point at the entrance.

Appointment systems make health uses predictable. Staff, patients, pharmacy customers and deliveries each have their own patterns. Dental practices, clinics and vets raise similar questions on a smaller scale. A Travel Plan can reduce staff parking demand, freeing spaces for patients.

Health centres combining several services, such as GP practices, pharmacy, dentistry and physiotherapy, need an assessment of each service’s peak. Patients with limited mobility need accessible bays close to the entrance and level routes from bus stops. Pharmacy deliveries and clinical waste collections also need a loading area that does not block patient access.

Concerns usually relate to patient parking at peak clinic times. Appointment data and a staff Travel Plan usually resolve them.

Where a merged practice increases patient numbers on one site, we show how the combined demand fits within the car park and nearby parking.

We prepare the transport statement or assessment and design the parking and drop-off arrangements.

The same questions arise in Scotland and Wales, where they are assessed against NPF4 and Scottish guidance or Planning Policy Wales and TAN 18 rather than the NPPF.

To get a quote, send us:

• The site address or a location plan.
• The number of consulting rooms, staff and appointments.
• Data from the existing practice, if available.
• Any pre-application advice or highways comments you already have.