The car park serving the NHS 111 service at St Leonards Hospital had reached the point where patching was no longer enough. Worn surfacing, tired edgings and uneven levels made the space harder to use than it should be for the staff and visitors who rely on it every day.
Because the Dorset Integrated Urgent Care Service operates from the site, the refurbishment had to deliver a durable, long-term surface without disrupting a facility that never really stops. So, they gave us a call to see what we could do for them.
About the Project
This was one of several recent groundwork and surfacing schemes we have carried out for NHS facilities and healthcare sites across the county. The work areas were fenced off with barriers so the rest of the car park could stay in use, which let clinical staff and response vehicles come and go while each section was completed.
The first stage was clearing overgrown vegetation from the site boundary and planning out the existing surface, which means mechanically removing the worn top layer, so the new material has a clean, sound base to bond to. Once the old surface was gone, our team installed new concrete dish channels. These are shallow, gently curved channels set into the surface that guide rainwater towards the drains, so it no longer sits in the bays and walkways.
New kerbs and path edgings followed, including a reworked approach to the building entrance with tactile paving. Level adjustments were made throughout, raising or lowering manhole covers and other ironwork to match the new finished height, and new bollards were installed to protect pedestrian areas.
Surfacing With Stone Mastic Asphalt
With the groundwork complete, the car park was resurfaced in 10mm Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA). SMA is a dense, hard-wearing surface course that resists rutting and cracking far better than standard macadam, which matters on a site where vehicles are turning and parking at all hours. The 10mm aggregate gives a slightly more robust texture than the finer grades we use on residential driveways, so it suits the heavier, more constant traffic of a healthcare car park.
New white lining was then applied, marking out the dedicated NHS and UCR bays clearly. The final step was overbanding, where a band of bitumen sealant is applied over the joints between the new and existing surfaces. It is a small detail, but it stops water getting into those joints, which is where resurfaced areas most often start to break down.
The End Result
Schemes like St Leonards Hospital show why the groundwork deserves as much attention as the surface itself. The finished car park gives staff and visitors a smooth, durable surface with clearly marked bays, proper drainage and safer access to the building. The work was delivered safely and efficiently while the service remained operational.
Dish channels, correct levels and sealed joints are what separate a car park that lasts from one that starts pooling and cracking within a few winters. With that in mind, the new surface we provided was built to perform for years rather than simply look tidy on the day it was finished.
Car Park Surfacing Across Dorset
At Fletchamoore, we are proud to support essential NHS facilities, and we look forward to sharing more of these projects.
Our team has been carrying out car park surfacing, footpath and road surfacing, and commercial groundworks across Dorset, Poole, Bournemouth, Ringwood and the surrounding area for over 60 years. We are CIS registered, fully Health and Safety certified and insured for up to £10 million to work on commercial and healthcare sites of all sizes.
Call 01202 624900 or complete our online contact form for a free, no-obligation quote for your car park resurfacing project.
