A PATIENTS’ watchdog says it is "disappointed" plans to extend the car park at Brecon’s War Memorial Hospital could be delayed.

Powys Teaching Health Board said it could develop land above Breconshire War Memorial Hospital to create an extra 150 parking spaces.

But the plans have not been included in the health board’s capital spending programme for 2016/17.

The health board had promised to improve car parking at the Cerrigcochion Road hospital when it agreed controversial plans to transfer stroke services from Bronllys Hospital to Brecon in 2013.

David Adams, the chief officer of the Powys Community Health Council, said: "The community health council is disappointed as it was part and parcel of the transfer of stroke services and was one of the former Brecon and Radnor Community Health Council’s conditions on supporting the transfer.

"We will be writing to to the health board about that."

Mr Adams said car parking is an important issue for patients at the crowded hospital site that has long been troubled by parking problems.

"Clearly it is something we consider very important, not only associated with stroke services, but as there is so much car parking on the road.

"We want to see the hospital expand but it isn’t helpful when patients have problems parking.

"Parking is an issue for a lot of hospital services and there is a definite need for improvement to enable parking at the War Memorial Hospital."

A report prepared for the health board has put the cost of the car park development at £250,000. It would bring the total at the hospital to over 250 spaces.

The report said a health board panel had decided against including the parking proposals in the forthcoming discretionary capital spending programme.

"The panel felt there was no clear evidence that patients parking was effected detrimentally. Staff parking whilst fully recognising the importance and impact would not attract a high risk associated with the clinical need."

Hayley Thomas, the health board’s director of planning and performance, said further work is needed on the car park plans.

She said: "The next step for car parking at Breconshire War Memorial Hospital is to develop a design for the new car park and to establish the costs for implementing this.

"We’ve already completed the ecological, arboreal and topographical surveys for this work. We’ve also invited expressions of interest from companies to undertake the design and costing work. Tenders have been received and are currently being evaluated.

"Subject to agreement on the tender, when the design and costing work is completed this will help us to decide how to fund and implement the scheme."

A spokesman said other sources of funding may be available to the health board but if it is to be funded from its own capital programme the work wouldn’t be considered until 2017/18.

A health board spokesman said last December: "It is hoped that we will be able to build a new car park on land above the hospital, which was donated when the hospital was built. There are no plans to purchase additional land."