We’re very happy to report that a new £110m state-of-the-art Women’s and Children’s Building has been approved this week at the Countess of Chester Hospital in Chester. The unit will provide new delivery suites, obstetric theatres, a neonatal unit, and a 24-bed maternity ward, replacing the current facility which was built in 1971 and needs replacing.
Our experienced landscape team designed the external approaches to the new building as well as a temporary 450 space car park, which is integral to the phasing of the overall construction strategy and programme. Our transport planning team also prepared a Framework Travel Plan which aims to significantly reduce vehicle trips and car parking demand at the hospital. The Travel Plan ultimately proved to be a decisive factor in securing planning, such is the pressure on space at the site and the potential for adverse impacts on surrounding neighbourhoods.
Lee Kendall, Technical Director at Axis said “I cannot recall ever having been involved in such an ambitious, but nonetheless very real Travel Plan in my career. The Hospital Trust, with the full backing and funding from its Executive Board, is committed to massively reducing the level of vehicle trips and car parking demand at the site. It will do this using a range of 23 tangible and forceful measures which we helped develop. The Travel Plan will also form a key component of the Trust’s plan to reach net zero direct carbon emissions by 2040”.
We will continue to advise on detailed design matters.
