Southmead Elective Centre, Bristol
- Client: North Bristol NHS Trust
- Services Provided:
- Planning Consultancy • Healthcare
The Instruction
Alder King Planning Consultants were instructed to prepare and submit a planning application seeking full planning permission for a new Elective Centre at Southmead Hospital. We were responsible for overall co-ordination of the application, including liaison with the project team. Following planning permission being granted, we have assisted the Trust with both the discharging of planning conditions and revisions to the approved proposals.
Our Approach
Following the Covid pandemic, the NHS has been allocated sufficient funds to grow the amount of planned surgery year-on-year, to cut long waits, and reduce the waiting list. In this context, North Bristol NHS Trust was successful in receiving support from the NHS England and Improvement Team for the creation of an Elective Centre on the Southmead Hospital site.
The new Elective Centre will support the drive to cut waiting lists. It will help recover the waiting list backlog to a manageable level and provide capacity to match growing demand. It will also allow for waiting list patients with a greater range of clinical complexity to be treated.
In the context of very tight programme requirements relating to government funding of the project, Alder King devised and implemented a robust planning strategy for this ‘major’ application, with a view to ensuring that the project could be delivered within an appropriate timeframe.
As well as preparing documents such as the application forms, Planning Statement and Statement of Community Involvement, we reviewed all technical documents of other consultants with a view to ensuring they were fit for purpose. This was critical given the time pressure on the planning process due to the funding regime.
Results
Full planning permission for this high profile ‘major’ development was secured in four months, and at a time when the Local Planning Authority’s resources were extremely stretched.
The implementation of a robust planning strategy from the outset, combined with our excellent working relationship with Local Planning Authority officers and other key consultees, made it possible to secure a much-needed timely permission for this development of regional significance.
Image courtesy of BDP Architects
