A BUSY Gorleston estate road could continue to be used as a rat run by hospital staff for the next 18 months, despite protests the road is congested with cars.

More than 40 residents living in or close to Jenner Road want action to be taken to stop employees at the neighbouring James Paget University Hospital using the road to avoid traffic lights outside the hospital’s main entrance on the A12.

Many of them met Yarmouth borough and Norfolk county councillors at Yarmouth Town Hall last week to discuss their concerns about staff using their road to get to the hospital and parking their cars there during the day, cluttering up the street.

However, Jenner Road and its entrance to the hospital are owned by the developers who built the estate, not the county council, meaning little can be done to alleviate the problems, such as painting yellow lines or closing the entrance.

Borough councillor Bert Collins, who attended the meeting, said the county council would not be able to adopt the road for another 18 months.

Tim Caley, 56, who lives in Jenner Road, said he was regularly woken at 6am by cars driving past blaring loud music and the road was often clogged with parked cars during the day.

He added Jenner Road was only ever intended as a “relief road” if the A12 was ever closed and not as the main thoroughfare for traffic.

“The hospital staff seem to think Jenner Road is just another car park and they can park here as and when they feel like it.

“If this road was ever needed because the A12 was blocked then the ambulances would not be able to get down here because of all the parked vehicles,” Mr Caley said.

Mr Collins, who represents Gorleston ward, said Wendy Slaney, the hospital’s chief executive, would be writing to hospital staff asking them to avoid parking in Jenner Road.

A hospital spokesman believed the chief executive would be writing to staff, but was unaware what the contents of the letter would be.