‘Beeping’ barriers to be removed by September at Harrogate hospital

A new “beeping” sound coming from a car park barrier will be removed in the next few weeks, Harrogate Hospital has said.

A resident contacted the Stray Ferret to say the noise, which activates every time the barrier at the entrance is used, was causing a nuisance.

David Spain, who lives around 100m from the hospital, said the beeping sound had originally been present when the barrier was first installed many years ago.

After residents complained about the noise, it was switched off. However, the barrier was recently repaired and, when switched back on, the beeping had returned.

He said:

“With my doors and windows closed, I can hear it clearly from about 6am when people start coming to work.

“Being retired and not having to get up at that time, I don’t really want to be woken by it. It’s not going to shatter any windows, but it is irritating.

“It’s when it goes up that it beeps. When it comes down, it doesn’t beep, which seems strange.”

Mr Spain said he had contacted the hospital to raise the issue when it started around 10 days ago, but had no response.

However, he said he was still pleased to live close to the hospital, which had treated him in an emergency, adding:

“They saved my life – I’ve got no beef with the hospital. I would be dead if it weren’t for them.”

A spokesperson for Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust (HDFT), which runs the hospital, said:

“The Trust holds a duty of care for the safety of our patients, visitors and colleagues. Our barriers at the main visitor car park at Harrogate District Hospital are fitted with an alert noise with a set volume as a safety measure to ensure we warn and protect anyone in the vicinity of them.

“This is to ensure that we adhere to our health and safety commitments of keeping our patients, visitors and colleagues from harm and injury.”

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Parking at the hospital has been under review for some time, in a bid to reduce the amount of queuing onto the road at peak times.

HDFT announced earlier this year that a new system would be introduced later this year.

The spokesperson today confirmed this, adding:

“We have recognised that improvements are required to our car parking provision and we are implementing a new car parking management solution across the hospital site that will be in place by September 2023.

“This new car parking system will have number plate recognition which will replace the current barrier system, ensuring no further warning noises are necessary.”

Appeal for information after £1,000 damage to Nidd Gorge car park barrier

The Woodland Trust is trying to track down a white van that caused £1,000 of damage to a barrier at the entrance to the Nidd Gorge car park on Ripley Road in Scotton.

Witnesses say they saw the van hit the height restriction barrier as it attempted to enter the car park on Saturday July 31 at about 10am.

The heavy gauge steel barrier was bent backwards and several visitors in the car park at the time gathered around the van. But the vehicle’s number plate has yet to be identified.

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The Woodland Trust owns the car park and maintains the woods in the gorge, which is a popular location for hikers and dog walkers.

A spokesperson for the Woodland Trust said:

“The Woodland Trust is a charity that protects woodland areas for the public good. It relies on donations to do this. Ideally, we would like to identify the driver or vehicle so we can try to recover the approx £1,000 repair cost and not divert it from other essential woodland protection work.

“We would be grateful if anyone can help us to identify the van or driver, by providing a vehicle number plate for example.”

Anyone with information can contact The Woodland Trust on 0330 3333300 or email: enquiries@woodlandtrust.org.uk . Emails should have the subject heading ‘Nidd Gorge – Height Barrier Damage’.