Health trust reveals proposed site for new hospital

A health trust has announced its preferred location for a new hospital which opponents have described as the "worst possible site".

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust plans to rebuild Frimley Park Hospital as two thirds of its current buildings were constructed with Raac, which can fail when exposed to moisture.

The trust said the proposed location was on part of Pine Ridge Golf Club, using about one fifth of a 265-acre plot owned by Frimley Fuel Allotments, with work set to be carried out "to understand how the site could be developed responsibly".

Environmental campaigner Save Surrey Countryside has condemned the decision, describing it as "unthinkable vandalism".

The trust said the announcement followed an "extensive selection process" involving 18 sites within a five-mile radius of the hospital.

It said it had not purchased the land and no final decisions had been made but the announcement allowed it to carry out more detailed work to understand how the site could be developed, including traffic and transport, environmental impact and how the hospital would fit with the surroundings.

Lance McCarthy, the trust's chief executive, said: "This is about creating a hospital that local people can rely on - not just today, but for generations to come."

He said a new hospital would mean "safer buildings, modern facilities and an environment that helps our staff deliver the very best care", while the project would also bring jobs and growth to the area.

Health Minister Karin Smyth described the announcement as "an important milestone in delivering a modern, state-of-the-art facility" and said the trust would be working closely with the community as plans took shape.

Following confirmation of the decision, a crowd of campaigners gathered outside Frimley Park Hospital to air their objections against the proposed site.

The campaigners, carrying placards and signs, highlighted existing traffic issues in the area and calls to save the woodland.

The trust, in partnership with Thames Valley Integrated Care Board (ICB), said it was launching a programme to gather the views of patients, staff, partners and local residents, including those living near the site.

It said feedback would help shape future proposals before final decisions were made, and a formal consultation would be part of any future planning application.

Sam Burrows, chief system development and engagement officer for NHS Thames Valley ICB, said: "Ensuring local people have the opportunity to share their views on the proposals is critical in supporting decision making and in improving the overall project."

Surrey Heath MP Dr Al Pinkerton told BBC Radio Surrey it was the "the worst possible site that could be chosen" for an 800-bed acute hospital with A&E.

He added: "The new site is going to have all the challenges of getting to the current site and then add in the difficulties of trying to then navigate down single carriageway roads, beyond different schools, all of which clog up the entire Frimley area in the morning and in the afternoon.

Environmental campaigner Save Surrey Countryside condemned the choice of site.

Its coordinator, Sally Blake, said: "We utterly condemn the decision... The destruction of this woodland is unthinkable vandalism at a time when woodlands are being planted and nature sites are being restored throughout the UK to combat our climate and nature crises."

Blake said it was mature woodland, and a site of nature conservation importance, with free access to the public and a "much-used public golf course that was left to benefit of the people of Frimley in 1801".

She said more than 11,000 people had already signed a petition to protect the woodland.

The trust said it would need approval from the Department of Health and Social Care to purchase the land.

Work on the new hospital is set to begin in 2028 or 2029.

In an interview with the BBC in January, former Health Secretary Wes Streeting confirmed the work was "fully funded".

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