For the duration of the build, the 36.5‑acre site – equivalent to the size of 28 football pitches – will be used for the contractor compound to support construction of the new hospital. This will allow building work to be done as safely as possible and help minimise disruption to the hospital.
This land purchase is a key milestone for the Trust to prepare for future stages.
As well as being central to the construction, this area will also deliver long‑term benefits. Once the new hospital is in full operation the land will help improve biodiversity and provide low‑carbon energy. The project team will work with specialists in this field to research methods of energy generation to make the site carbon neutral and as environmentally friendly as it can be – this will help ensure the new hospital is as sustainable as possible.
As a Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) hospital, The QEH and the James Paget University Hospital (JPUH), both part of the Norfolk and Waveney Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group, have been prioritised by the Government to be rebuilt by the national New Hospital Programme. This national programme sets out principles which Trusts must follow around project safety, protecting services and improved sustainability.
Peter Cox, Project Director – New QEH, said: “The purchase of this land is an important step in the preparations for our new hospital. It strengthens our readiness for the next phases of the New QEH programme by putting the practical foundations in place, while also supporting our long-term ambitions for sustainability and innovation across the site.”
The New QEH will be built on the current main car park, work on the multi-storey car park at the top end of the site, opposite the Community Diagnostic Centre, will begin in July this year as the key enabler for the main hospital build.
Find out more about plans for a new hospital in King’s Lynn here – www.newqeh.org.uk. Further updates on the use and development of the land will be shared as plans progress.
Ends. Notes to editors; For media enquiries only, please contact Communications Team, media.enquiries@qehkl.nhs.uk or 01553 613216. For all other enquiries, please contact QEH Switchboard on 01553 613613.
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