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A homeowner spent £20,000 turning his front garden into a carpark so he can provide cheaper parking for a Birmingham hospital. You can see him talking about his idea here:
Akeel Ahmed lives opposite the Heartlands Hospital in Bordesley Green, Birmingham, and offers 24-hour parking for £5 a day, seriously undercutting the £10.20 cost of the official hospital carpark.
Akeel, 33, came up with the idea last October after a driver who was visiting the hospital asked him if he could park on his drive and handed him a fiver ‘for his trouble’.
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This inspired Akeel to pave his garden and mark out 18 parking spots - with plans to add two more - where drivers can park for up to 24-hours and simply post the £5 through his letterbox.
Akeel admits that so far he hasn’t pulled in much custom, but says his main customers are nurses and some even split the cost of a space with a pal, meaning they get a full day’s parking for just £2.50.
And the dad-of-three also has his eyes on the school run market with £2 offers for drop-off and pick-up slots on weekdays.
Akeel, who grew up in the house, said: "A guy came here while I was clearing the garden and asked if he could park - that was the lightbulb moment.
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"I sorted the whole place which cost £20,000. That included the dig, materials and labour. It took about three weeks because I wanted it in a way you go in and go out.
"The first few months were quiet but over the last six weeks it has picked up. It's mainly hospital users, patients and staff. I've have had a few nurses park up.
"The nurses in particular can't get permits to park up (at the hospital). Here, £5 is nothing. And it's secure, every time a car goes in, I know about it.
"I get four or five cars a day, some days I get none. Weekends I can get none. If all 20 bays are full, it will be £100 a day but at the moment it's more like £10.
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"I also offer for nurses to split their bay with another colleague so it's £2.50 a day - it's as cheap as chips.
"I'm on the JustPark app and a lady left her car here for a month for £58. It's good for the airport.
“Everyone who has approached me says it's brilliant. It's right opposite the hospital, on the dual carriageway, it's convenient and I'm making use of the land.
"I think it's going to be worth it. I'm making the area nicer as it was very overgrown. I contacted the council and they saw it as a positive."
Claire Reid