A PROPOSAL aimed at easing parking shortages at a new £36m hospital is likely to be derailed, the Daily Echo can reveal.

A new report is expected to conclude that a former railway station next to the Lymington New Forest Hospital should not be re-opened.

Ampress Halt used to be one of the stops on the Lymington to Brockenhurst railway line.

When permission for the hospital was granted, the district council limited the number of parking spaces as part of a green transport plan that aimed to encourage more people to leave their car at home.

However, the building is on an industrial estate on the edge of Lymington and is difficult to reach by public transport.

Re-opening Ampress Halt would enable people to arrive and depart by train - but the scheme is likely to be shunted into the sidings.

The warning has been issued by Hampshire County Council, which is carrying out a feasibility study into the proposal.

A county council spokesman said: "The preliminary indications are that re-opening the station is unlikely to be a viable proposition.

"However, no decision will be made until the final report is produced and we have consulted the district council, the town council and the hospital authorities."

The hospital has only 205 parking bays, which often makes it difficult for patients, staff and visitors find a space.

Civic leaders have voiced their dismay at the revelation that Ampress Halt is unlikely to re-open.

Lymington mayor Pauline Elsworth said: "It's very disappointing news considering the parking problems at the new hospital. Re-opening the station would be an asset and a great help."

Hampshire Primary Care Trust said it would explore "other transport options" if the county council's report recommended that Ampress Halt should remain shut.

"We're already looking at the possibility of providing more car parking on the hospital site," said a trust spokesman.

As reported in the Daily Echo, the 107-bed hospital is due to be opened by the Princess Royal next Tuesday.