New Forest of Dean Hospital receives planning consent

Posted: 8 April 2022

Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust’s innovative new community hospital in the Forest of Dean has received planning permission.

The new hospital, designed by ONE, will efficiently alleviate pressure on acute hospitals and provide integrated care systems that will transform local health provision.

Forest of Dean District Council’s Planning Committee gave the scheme the green light on Tuesday 8 March 2022. The new hospital will replace two older buildings (Dilke Memorial Hospital and Lydney Community Hospital) and will modernise the infrastructure to allow the NHS to provide sustainable high-quality in-patient and outpatient services for many years to come.

The design brings together a range of services: local urgent care/minor injury units and out of hours service, x-ray, radiology and ultrasound services, consulting and treatment rooms for outpatient clinics, a children’s clinic area, endoscopy suite, clinic space for dentistry and/or podiatry and a purpose-built therapy gym for rehabilitation. As well as community areas within the hospital e.g. a group room and shop, the skate park (currently on the land) is being relocated nearby with other local improvements making the new hospital a central focus within the community.

Sustainability is central to the design supporting the NHS’ ambition of net zero carbon emissions with the design aiming for an Excellent BREEAM rating to help reduce energy consumption, carbon and ongoing costs.

Site preparation and groundworks has started to prepare for construction later this year.