Car park near Lincoln Prison could be extended due to rising demands for hospital visitors

The car park next to Lincoln prison could be extended due to rising demand for parking at the nearby hospital.

Plans to use additional land for a permanent car park have been submitted to the City of Lincoln Council and are expected to create 22 extra spaces for the 170-space car park on Greetwell Road, Lincoln.

The car park is currently operated by a Watch This Space Property Development Ltd and will continue to be so under this proposal.

In a letter signed by Bruce Bewley, Acting Governor of HMP Lincoln, dated April 2024, it was stated that HMP Lincoln has faced challenges with Lincoln County Hospital staff, visitors, and contractors using the prison’s parking facilities as free parking areas.

This has resulted in prison staff and visitors often struggling to find parking spaces and having to resort to the paid facility at the hospital.

This has then led to the prison service establishing a new car park behind the prison.

Banners have since been placed at the entrance to the car park on Greetwell Road, declaring that it is ‘strictly’ for NHS staff and contractor parking only."

Lincolnshire Action Trust (LAT) has declared its support for the project, insisting that the car park provides much-needed revenue, which is then invested in services for prisoners and their families at HMP Lincoln.

Chief Executive Alison Goddard wrote: "LAT has worked with HMP Lincoln and Watch This Space Property Development Ltd for a number of years to maximise previously unused wasteland to the side of the prison.

"Whilst the development of this car park provision benefits United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust through provision of much needed parking space for staff, importantly for LAT, the provision generates essential revenue that we invest in services for prisoners and their families at HMP Lincoln.

"Without this income, we could not fund these services, meaning reducing re-offending interventions would not be delivered."