AN extra 150 car parking spaces could be created at Brecon’s busy hospital site.
Parking pressures have long plagued Breconshire War Memorial Hospital at Cerrigcochion Road and surrounding streets.
Powys teaching Health Board has said it has looked at different options to increase parking spaces at the hospital site.
It is currently drawing up plans to develop land above the hospital as a car park.
A spokesman for the health board said: "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.
"The new car park would bring an additional 150 spaces, brining the total at the hospital to over 250 spaces.
Discussions around a new car park are at an early stage and no firm plans have been made at this stage."
The spokesman added it is not yet possible to say how much the work would cost or how it would be funded.
Councillor Paul Ashton, whose St Mary’s ward includes the hospital, welcomed the proposal.
But he said the car park should be reserved for those using the hospital. Previously concerns have been raised that commuters travelling to Brecon have taken advantage of free, unrestricted parking at the hospital.
Cllr Ashton said: "I definitely think they would need to ensure it’s only staff at the hospital and visitors that use the car park.
"People won’t pay the daily charge for the long stay car parks and will park anywhere that doesn’t have a charge, which appears to be Camden Road, Cerrigcochion Road and Belle Vue Road.
"I’m sure lots of people who currently park on the street are working at the hospital.
"The problem with Brecon is there are more cars than kerb space."
Double yellow lines were laid down on Cerrigcochion Road, opposite the entrance to the hospital, in 2013 following a Brecon wide review of traffic orders.
Cllr Ashton said double yellow lines have now been proposed for the narrow sections of Cerrigcochion Road in the downhill direction but it is not known when Powys council will conduct another parking review in Brecon.