News

Turley secures outline planning permission for new hospital facilities at Dorset County Hospital

On behalf of Dorset County Hospital NHS Trust and Prime PLC, we have secured outline planning permission from Dorset Council for new and improved clinical and ancillary hospital facilities at Dorset County Hospital.

We provided expert Planning, EIA, Heritage and Sustainability services on the proposals. These include a new Emergency Department and Critical Care Unit as part of the Government’s New Hospital Programme, which commits to building 40 new and improved hospitals by 2030. 

Designed by architects, ONE, the development plans also include a new Hospital Support Centre, an Integrated Community and Primary Health Care Hub, a new entrance into the hospital, alongside associated green infrastructure and reconfigured access and parking.

The fundamental role the hospital plays in local healthcare infrastructure, including the general services it provides to a catchment of approximately 250,000 people in West Dorset, was fully recognised by the council. The hospital proposals will expand the Emergency Department and provide new critical care beds, helping to achieve the Trust’s aspirations for the hospital campus and improve clinical care and service delivery.

Initial demolition and site preparatory works are due to commence in 2023 and the Trust will be progressing Reserved Matters proposals for the new hospital elements in due course. The proposals will be delivered in phases to ensure hospital services remain operational throughout future construction stages.

The site is located within the catchment of Poole Harbour, a designated European Special Protection Area (SPA) identified by Natural England as being vulnerable to nutrient impacts. We coordinated inputs from the technical consultant team to inform Habitats Regulation Assessment (HRA) undertaken by the council which concluded that the proposed development would not result in a likely significant effect upon the Poole Harbour SPA or its integrity. 

A second planning application for the new key worker housing on the hospital campus is still being considered by the council and we look forward to continuing to support Prime and the Trust to progress this application towards determination.

23 January 2023

Image courtesy of ONE Creative Environments Ltd