Great Western Coffee Shop

Exciting news in the Bristol Post today (https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/bristol-hospital-plans-destroy-dozens-1723424): Bristol Royal Infirmary plans to build a new 'transport hub', to make the hospitals more accessible. Sounds great, doesn't it?

Obviously no omelette was ever made without cracking eggs, and three blocks of flats will need to be demolished to make way for it, which is sad but hey! Transport Hub! Great news!

Oh. Turns out 'transport hub' is the newspeak phrase for 'multistorey car park'.

Perhaps we need a new class of definitions on this forum; we already have 'tram-like experience' meaning 'ring road', and of course 'tempry' meaning 'a bit crap but the best you're going to get'. 'Transport hub' will be in good company.

Well at least it looks as if they are happy to wait for a parking space...

Or is that a fine example of 'tempry' local journalism?

The Post's headline does say "Bristol hospital plans to destroy dozens of homes to build multi-storey car park". Transport hub, or rather "Hospital Transport Hub" (note capitals!) seems to be UBHT's own phrase. As for the flats, they are rather run-down though probably this could be solved with a bit of maintenance, and six months notice doesn't seem a great deal. What I want to know is what will happen to the existing multistorey car park? They say it will be closed down, but does that actually mean sold to a private operator?

The Trenchard St car part is not full most days, and is probably closer that these homes.

Is the point of these to gain the Hospital revenue, or is there really parking issue at BRI?

Those flats are right next to the BRI! Nestled between the BRI, Jamaica Street and Dove Street – and the current multistorey just off Jamaica Street, which they say they'll close (to do what?).

As for a problem with parking at the BRI, I don't know how full the Jamaica St car park is, but the two small car parks further up in Kingsdown are frequently full and waiting – but this might be because the Jamaica St multistorey is under-advertised.

Maybe the NHS Trust want to cash-in on the cash cows that multi storey car parks in the centre of Bristol are, a few years ago my brother-in-law was of necessity forced to use the Holiday Inn Car Park on Bond Street and was staggered to be charged £12 for 2 hours and 53 minutes parking.

Trenchard Street is a fair walk if, as is always possible given the context, you're feeling a bit peaky. Dropping off and picking up at the BRI can also be a nightmare, particularly if you've got to get a wheelchair out of the boot. But whether a big car park transport hub will solve the problem is another matter; parking at Southmead can be very difficult, and they have a massive transport hub.

The cash cow is more likely to be in the land value.