Plans for a new Crewe hospital on land next to the existing site at Leighton have been recommended for approval.

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking permission for a new six-storey hospital, ancillary buildings, multi-storey car park, access points, parking and associated infrastructure on land off Middlewich Road.

A report from Cheshire East's planning officer to next week's meeting of the strategic planning board states: "The application provides a unique opportunity to build a new state-of-the-art hospital for Crewe and, whilst it is not without its impacts, it is considered that the proposal is acceptable in planning terms."

The new hospital will be built on the northern, vacant part of the site, which will allow the existing Leighton Hospital to operate during construction.

The site is divided into six areas:

• Area to the north – new hospital buildings with a maximum height of 40m (six storeys plus plant and flues);
• Area to the east – new ancillary hospital buildings – four storeys high, plus a multi-storey car park of up to 1,000 spaces;
• Much of the existing hospital – areas to be demolished;
• Existing former South Cheshire Hospital to be demolished and re-purposed for temporary parking.
• Four more recent hospital buildings arranged around the edge of the existing complex to be retained, re-purposed and altered or extended.
• Peripheral areas of the existing complex – area includes internal access roads, servicing and/or parking areas, landscaping, open space, drainage, ecological mitigation.

The trust is seeking outline permission for the new hospital with all matters reserved except for access – which means the detail and design will be considered later.

It is seeking full permission to demolish the former South Cheshire Hospital for parking purposes.

The officer's report says: "In addition to existing access points, two new access points are proposed to the north of the site, one off Middlewich Road, the other off Flowers Lane. Neither will be for public use."

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Leighton Hospital currently has 2,380 parking spaces and the same level is proposed for the new hospital.

The report states: "Given the nature of the proposals, the development is likely to be delivered in phases, and once the new hospital has been built and services decanted from existing buildings, then demolition of the existing estate can commence – estimated 2032 onwards.

"The exception is the demolition of the South Cheshire building and its replacement with a temporary car park which is planned for later this year."

Leighton, Minshull Vernon and Woolstanwood Parish Council supports a new hospital but is concerned about the lack of additional parking spaces and lack of additional beds.

Four nearby residents have objected.

Among their concerns are the 'excessive dominance of a six-storey building'.

The planning officer's report states: "The construction of a six-storey building up to 40m in height in this location on the edge of the built-up area of Crewe will be visually prominent…

"The design officer sets out the need to address the scale of the main building at the [later] reserved matters stage."

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The report continues: "Any adverse impacts identified need to be also balanced against the significant weight that can be applied from the need to provide Crewe with a new hospital to not only replace buildings with major RAAC construction issues, but to provide a modern highly efficient hospital to meet the demands of customers and healthcare staff alike.

"The development is described as providing for the transformation of healthcare for the residents of Cheshire."

The planning meeting takes place on Tuesday, June 9, at 10.30am at Crewe Municipal Buildings.

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