Calderdale Royal Hospital extension and multi-storey car park plan under Trust's £196.5m strategy gets the go-ahead

Calderdale Council’s Planning Committee have given outline approval to demolish an existing learning and development centre and building of a new purpose-built clinical building, with associated access, parking and landscaping works at Calderdale Royal Hospital.

And they have given full approval for a new multi-storey car park which will house around 800 parking spaces, also at Calderdale Royal’s Dryclough lane, Halifax, site.

The overall aim of reconfiguration is to streamline clinical services at both hospitals, delivering benefits for all people across Calderdale and Huddersfield, says applicant Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust.

Councillors heard the multi-storey car park would have to be built first.

Anna Basford, Director of Transformation and Partnerships at the Trust, said it would be implementing a park and ride service to alleviate parking issues while work was going on.

Coun Paul Bellenger (Lib Dem, Greetland and Stainland) wanted to know if elderly or frail people would have to use this and officers queried if it would mainly be for staff and act as a shuttle service.

Coun Bellenger said Broad Street in Halifax had been mentioned as a terminus and feared it could see a visit taking four hours when shuttle timings were taken into account.

Ms Basford said she could give an assurance priority access would be for patients when considering car park management.

Coun Coilin Hutchinson (Lab, Skircoat) asked about routes into the site for ambulances as with reconfiguration “blue light” journeys would increase and was told it would be an issue considered when a full application would be considered.

When councillors moved on to discus the multi-storey car park application, Coun Bellenger was far from impressed with the design.

“My heart sunk when I saw that – it looks like a maximum security prison.

“I would like to see some green screening that will help against air pollution,” he said.

Coun Bellenger suggested a “living wall” but officers said that would not be suitable but the building would let a lot of light in, reducing the need for electric light, and considered it a good, modern design.

Coun Hutchinson asked whether new traffic lights relating to the site could be synchronised with those at Salterhebble Hill to avoid traffic hold ups and was told this would be the case.

He also asked about height clearances and was told there were spaces outside the multi-storey car park which would be accessible to higher vehicles

Coun Robert Thornber (Con, Ryurn) and Coun Audrey Smith (Lab, Sowerby Bridge) both wanted to know if the car park was future-proofed with enough capacity.

Committee Chair Coun Victoria Poritt (Lab, Elland) said: “There is no getting away from the fact it is a big building – it’s a multi-storey car park and there is only so many ways it can be considered to look anything but a multi-storey car park!”

Officers said the number of spaces had been calculated to meet need as far as could be done.

They also said nearby properties would not experience significant loss of daylight, highway concerns can be mitigated and the impact on air quality would be “negligible.”

When balanced against public benefits from the development, the new buildings would be well-designed and “clearly and demonstrably” outweigh the degree of harm which officers say will be done to the area’s heritage status.

These works will mean the existing two-storey building comprising the learning and development centre would be demolished, and a new clinical building of around 30,000 square metres being built to house a 20,000 square metre ward block containing inpatient wards and operating theatres (incorporating up to 240 beds) and a consolidated Intensive Care Unit and Critical Care Unit.

It will also include a 10,000 square metre emergency department block which will contain a new Accident and Emergency (A&E) and Paediatric Emergency department.

Works aim to improve the existing site accesses from Godfrey Road and improve car parking for ambulances, around 170 vehicles and bicycles, all including landscaping.

The multi-storey car park would house 747 standard private vehicle spaces, 41 disabled private vehicle spaces, 156 electric vehicle charging spaces and 50 bicycle spaces (secured long stay).

In addition, a surface car park between the multi-storey car park and the hospital building would provide five disabled parking spaces, 14 standard spaces and two electric vehicle charging spaces, and six “Sheffield” design cycle stands at the hospital main entrance(these would have space for 22 bicycles, this time short stay).

Reconfiguration will see staff levels at CRH increase by more than 1,000 from 2,642 to 3,693 and bed numbers from approximately 430 to 670.

In addition, 236 staff members per day would not be required to travel the eight km between the CRH and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary estates to deliver services.