Published date: 09 March 2023
Consett development granted planning permission
Durham County Council's planning committee gave the go-ahead on plans for the new multi-million pound state-of-the-art build on Derwent View, part of the former Steel Works site on 07 March.
The new development will replace the current Shotley Bridge Community Hospital, and provide patients with a modern healthcare facility, purpose built around the needs of patients now and into the future. Construction work is expected to commence later this year to deliver the new facility in 2025 and NHSPS will work closely with partners to manage the programme of works.
Hanna Hardy, Acquisitions Lead at NHS Property Services said: "The planning approval is excellent news and follows a significant amount of work and positive engagement from all involved stakeholders, including Project Genesis Limited, technical and planning advisors DPP, Medical Architecture and Tilbury Douglas.
"The team at NHS Property Services are excited to continue to support the Trust and our NHS partners through to the next phase of the process, delivering a fantastic new community hospital to enable our clinical colleagues to deliver excellent patient care."
Programme Manager at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, Jane Curry said: "This is a very important milestone in this long awaited development for the population of Derwentside, and the critical part this facility plays in the wider community healthcare infrastructure in County Durham."
The build has been designed by specialist healthcare architects, Medical Architecture. Director Lianne Knotts commented: "We are delighted to move on to the next stage in delivering this important new community hospital for the local population.
"We have designed a building that is welcoming to all and that creates an environment for care that promotes wellbeing and recovery. We are now looking forward to making the plans a reality."
Paul Ellenor, Regional Director at Tilbury Douglas, the project's main contractor, added: "We are delighted that formal planning permission has been granted for the new hospital. Our team and the project's design partners have worked hard to develop a scheme that will benefit the local community, providing an enhanced environment for both patients and staff."
