Major boost for £420m hospital revamp project (From The Argus)
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Major boost for £420m hospital revamp project
6:30pm Friday 20th January 2012 in News By Siobhan Ryan, Health Reporter
An artist's impression of the proposed hospital development
Proposals for a multi-million-pound hospital redevelopment have been given a major boost.
Planning officers at Brighton and Hove City Council are recommending that councillors approve the £420 million project for Royal Sussex County Hospital.
The development, which would take a decade to complete, includes pulling down and replacing the Barry and Jubilee buildings, which are more than 180 years old and not suitable for 21st century health care.
There would also be an underground car park with 350 spaces and a helicopter pad.
Hospital chief executive Duncan Selbie said: “This is very encouraging. So much depends on this decision.”
The application, submitted last September, has been almost three years in the planning and the design for the new development was changed almost 30 times.
The council received more than 100 responses to the application, with messages of support highlighting the fact that the existing buildings are in a poor state and out of date.
Respondents said that the new buildings would provide more privacy, comfort and dignity for patients.
Objections included concerns about the over development of the site and its impact on surrounding streets and homes.
The Argus has launched the Give us our Hospital campaign, which is calling on the council to approve the plans so that work on the development can start as soon as possible.
Members of the council’s planning committee will have a presentation from officers on Monday ahead of a site visit at the hospital in Eastern Road on Tuesday.
The application will be discussed at a special planning committee meeting on January 27.
See The Argus tomorrow (Saturday, January 21) for a detailed examination of the application and the committee report.
Comments(18)
downbythesea
says...
7:23pm Fri 20 Jan 12
Hove Actually wrote:I totally agree!
A Major Boost? Was it ever in doubt that they would back the plans? No, and it is about time they got on with bringing the main hospital up to the excellent standard of the childrens wing......sooner rather than later.
The Royal Sussex is for the most part, an old dump, although the majority of staff there are great!
Can I drive the bulldozer? Pleeeeeease!
saveHOVE
says...
7:53pm Fri 20 Jan 12
The hospital will be too big on too small a site with too labyrinthine a set of access issues.
And God help the ambulances that have to get up Bristol Gate....before and after this newbuild is waved through.
The hospital had to be forced (beyond the time limit in Conditions of consent for tha Children's hospital) to address the transport access and egress issues it created along the northern entry road to the renal unit and to the car park below it. And it is still a nightmare.
Some of the hospital services MUST be moved to the Neville Road Polyclinic and that waste of space in front of it developed for to provide more Hove-based hospital facilities.
Maybe the entire general outpatient service could be shifted over to that site. The scale of overdevelopment of the RSCH puts a chill up my spine.
m4mt7ah
says...
8:22pm Fri 20 Jan 12
HJarrs
says...
10:20pm Fri 20 Jan 12
It looks like we may get that rare thing in the UK...a hospital that you actually feel might help to make you well again rather than a repository of illness.
If the council accept the planning recommendation then we need to get our MPs of all political colours to support the full bid.
mustaphaLeeko
says...
10:30pm Fri 20 Jan 12
m4mt7ah wrote:the Government is!
Who is supplying all that money?
jyan
says...
11:58pm Fri 20 Jan 12
mustaphaLeeko
says...
12:36am Sat 21 Jan 12
jyan wrote:Why is it going to be a nightmare?
Hove Polyclinic should have been made much bigger to take the strain from the Royal Sussex - such a wasted opportunity considering the space available. It's going to be (more of) a nightmare at the Royal Sussex when they start demolition!
Have you not read the published plans then?
They are spending a WHOLE YEAR moving departments into temporary buildings on site before ANY demolition starts, and the buildings demolished will be totally separate from the main site within construction barriers, so I think you are talking nonsense mate!
kkj
says...
1:16am Sat 21 Jan 12
How would that work then?
funky feet
says...
8:50am Sat 21 Jan 12
maria m
says...
8:57am Sat 21 Jan 12
jagiwatch
says...
9:17am Sat 21 Jan 12
Turn the current hospital into cheap rental accommodation (using the current building) to help with the homeless problems in the town. Possibly two problems solved.
HJarrs
says...
4:45pm Sat 21 Jan 12
jagiwatch wrote:The council doesn't build or run hospitals, the NHS does.
The Council should consider building a NEW hospital opposite Preston Park, knock down all the derelict/tatty buildings on Preston Road, it would be much easier to access for everyone! Turn the current hospital into cheap rental accommodation (using the current building) to help with the homeless problems in the town. Possibly two problems solved.
While the Eastern Road site is not convenient for all and neither is Preston Park and not everyone drives to hospital, especially not the patients!
jagiwatch
says...
7:23am Sun 22 Jan 12
While the Eastern Road site is not convenient for all and neither is Preston Park and not everyone drives to hospital, especially not the patients!”
That's not what I said... The Council have to agree to the NHS proposals, in this case they should recommend a change of site. I appreciate that not everyone drives to hospital but the majority must because the NHS also want to include "much larger parking facilities!"
Can this be
says...
8:08pm Sun 22 Jan 12
I am sure that many will have made comments in relation to the Planning Application referring to the transport issues. The Application includes some very minor changes to local road junctions, but that is all. I hope this is not all going to fall through a gap in the Planning systems as this is not just a hospital for Brighton or Brighton & Hove, but serves a large region well beyond Brighton & Hove. It needs proper transport facilities to suit all users - staff, suppliers, patients and visitors - which are not served by a larger car park and minor changes to road junctions immediately adjacent to the site. It should not be approved in isolation, that would be irresponsible. The town is clogged up with traffic for most of the day and weekends in particular.
Yes i'm right
says...
6:50pm Mon 23 Jan 12
jagiwatch wrote:Well said! The area in kemp Town is far to small for this modern horror. Move it!
The Council should consider building a NEW hospital opposite Preston Park, knock down all the derelict/tatty buildings on Preston Road, it would be much easier to access for everyone!
Turn the current hospital into cheap rental accommodation (using the current building) to help with the homeless problems in the town. Possibly two problems solved.
cancelaccount
says...
9:31am Tue 24 Jan 12
The travel to and from A&E re- Ambulance access has been accommodated for in the plans (look at them!), the main reason for the build is so that the RSCH can and will be the a main trauma centre for Sussex and to bring the present building(s) out of the victorian age and into the 21st century.
Why do you people think your negativity will assist in moving this major scheme forward is mind boggling. And how moving the hospital to another site eg Preston road? will benefit. You are all so out of touch,you need to let some air out and come down from thy high perches!
Gazza
says...
8:57pm Fri 27 Jan 12
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Hove Actually says...
7:17pm Fri 20 Jan 12
Was it ever in doubt that they would back the plans?
No, and it is about time they got on with bringing the main hospital up to the excellent standard of the childrens wing......sooner rather than later.