Car Parking
Welcome to the WWL Car Parking Information Page. Throughout 2025, we will be implementing a number of changes and developments that will take place across our Trust sites, in particular the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary (RAEI), Wigan, to allow for an improved patient, visitor and staff experience and to improve our car parking provision.
We are aware that currently visitors may experience difficulties using the parking facilities at RAEI. We understand that being unable to find a car parking space can cause increased tension at an already stressful time, and we can only apologise for this.
To help us alleviate the issue, work has commenced on the Freckleton Street car park to develop a Multi-Storey Car Park (MSCP). This new development will see the provision of 365 visitor spaces, 64 spaces for staff and will include 21 disabled parking spaces and 20 EV charging points. More information on this can be found here
Further to this, extensions and developments are currently underway on the RAEI site to improve and increase the car parking facilities for both staff and visitors.
These new developments will inevitably take some time to complete but will result in improved car parking provision for all at RAEI. We ask that our staff, visitors, relatives, and neighbours support our efforts in managing our car parks more effectively which will alleviate congestion on the site and the surrounding areas. We also ask our staff to park considerately - if this is off site, we ask that they observe parking restrictions and do not cause obstructions in the streets close to the site.
We recognise that finding somewhere to park can be an essential part of attending our hospitals and clinics so to help with this, we are making changes and investments in a number of areas and have an ongoing trust wide project to provide a much-improved car parking solution for all, including:
- An additional 43 spaces on Trust HQ car park on the RAEI site which is open to the public in the evenings and weekends
- We are also increasing blue badge spaces on RAEI by 21 spaces
- Introduction of ANPR and investment in WiFi to enable card payments, to make paying for parking easier
- Already at our Leigh Infirmary site, around 60 more parking spaces have been created for the public alongside the installation of two new card payment machines to enable both cash and card payment for car parking. You can read more about the Leigh development here
During this time, please be aware that there may be some disruption, and we would ask for your patience and understanding on this and, as always, to treat our car parking and security colleagues with kindness and respect.
Car parking is available on a Pay and Display basis. The cost is:
Up to 30 minutes drop off - Free
Up to two hours £3.20
Up to four hours £5.70
Four to 24 hours £7.50
Payment is by cash or card on all sites.
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Any oncology patient who attends the Trust for frequent regular treatment will receive free parking for the length of their treatment. This criterion was agreed by Macmillan Cancer Support.
- Any patients attending clinics at the Trust for a minimum of one day a week for an extensive period will receive free parking.
- Visitors of patients hospitalised for 2 weeks or more will be offered free parking for the duration of the patients stay.
- For the above an exemption for long term patients/visitors, for free parking, which can be obtained and signed by the Ward or Department and then Security and Car Parking Department will then issue a permit to be displayed in the vehicle windscreen.
The Government has introduced new guidance on the provision of free car parking for certain groups of hospital patients and visitors. This means that the following people are now eligible to receive free parking at our hospitals:
- Disabled people holding a valid Blue Badge, to be displayed in windscreen of vehicle.
- Frequent outpatient attendees, defined as those who are required to attend hospital for an appointment at least three times within a month for at least three months.
- Parents or guardians of sick children staying overnight in the hospital.
Outpatients and parents/guardians outlined in points two and three need to request an exemption pass from the relevant ward manager and then the security office will issue a permit to be displayed in their vehicle for the duration of their stay.
Please note: Freckleton Street Car Park is now closed to staff, visitors and the public (January 2025) while work begins on the development of a new mulit-storey car park, which is due to be completed in 12 months time.
For further information on parking at our hospitals or the current car parking development works including the new multi-storey car park development at Freckleton Street, please see the links below.
