Plans Lodged for Major New Hospital Development in Leeds City Centre

EXCITING plans for a major new hospital development in Leeds city centre have been submitted.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust wants to build a new ‘state of the art’ adults’ hospital - with theatres for day case procedures and added critical care facilities - and a new Leeds Children’s Hospital at the Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) site, opposite Millennium Square.

Planning consultancy Lichfields provided comprehensive strategic town planning and heritage advice to the Trust for the outline planning application (OPA) to Leeds City Council which can now be viewed online (see below).

Jonathan Standen, Lichfields’ Planning Director at its Leeds office, and the planning lead for the proposal, said Lichfields worked closely with the Trust, architect and technical advisors in delivering the submission.

He said: “Lichfields is delighted to have contributed to such a significant proposal which will deliver a major new healthcare facility which through the world class facility that will be built, will contribute to the much bigger redevelopment and economic regeneration opportunity for Leeds.”

Last Autumn, as part of the process for submitting an application to the council’s planning department, the Trust held a two-month engagement period with people from Leeds and the wider region in preparation for the OPA, inviting them to give their feedback on its proposals.

“We’d like to thank everyone who commented on our early plans,” said the Trust’s Acting Chief Executive, Yvette Oade. “Your views have already made an impact on the design of the hospitals.

“We know, for example, that many people find parking at the LGI very difficult so in response to these concerns we’ve increased the number of extra parking spaces we are proposing for the new development in the application we have made to the planning department.”

Leeds City Council’s planning department will now consider the OPA and the Trust will continue its planning process which involves submitting an Outline Business Case for the development. This will then be subject to the appropriate NHS review and approvals process.

The development of the new hospitals is part of an ambitious 10-year programme to transform healthcare for patients in Leeds and the wider region called, Hospitals of the Future.

They will be designed to support the next generation of healthcare for patients of all ages from Leeds, Yorkshire and beyond and will be built around the latest technologies and innovation to offer patients the most advanced, personalised care.