DURING the recent correspondence and reporting of the parking issues at Beeches Green Health Centre there was the mention of one thing that seems to have been missed during the correspondence.

That is, that a company called NHS Property Services Limited happen to be the landlords for the Beeches Green site and it was they who authorised another company – ParkingEye – to manage and enforce parking on the site.

Until all this happened I had never heard of this company – NHS Property Services Ltd.

So what is this rather shadowy organisation?

Resident conspiracy theorists in Stroud would probably say it is a front for CIA operations in the area!

However My conclusions are that this company – which manages NHS property in England and Wales – is nothing less than a government quango dedicated to the perpetuation of its existence at public expense whilst making questionable decisions at the same time.

Furthermore, it is 100 per cent wholly owned by the Secretary of State for Health – whoever that may be at the time.

This does not mean that the Health Secretary receives any personal remuneration from this company but it does mean that whoever is the Secretary at the time is ultimately responsible for the management and decision making of it.

Besides this company allowing parking at Beeches Green to be managed by ParkingEye with well publicised results, it has also decided that the mobile NHS – please note NHS – breast cancer screening vehicle can no longer operate from the car park at Beeches Green.

This NHS vehicle has been providing a vital screening service for women in the Stroud area at Beeches Green for a long time but this has now been stopped and doubtless in order to free up more parking spaces so more revenue can be found from those having to pay to park at Beeches Green.

Women who had previously used it may now have to go further afield for screening.

I am happy to report though that I recently saw this screening vehicle parked up and being used in the car park of the B and Q DIY store at Rodborough.

This was doubtless due to the kindness of the management there in allowing their car park to be used and that just goes to show that there are still good and decent people out there.

There are issues here with regard to what is happening at Beeches Green but they can be resolved.

Perhaps our MP – Mr Neil Carmichael – might like to take these up with his fellow Conservative MP – Mr Jeremy Hunt – who not only happens to be the Secretary of State for Health but is also the owner of NHS Property Services Ltd.

Huw Niland

Stroud