New Leighton hospital plans set for approval

A new hospital in Crewe is set to be given planning permission later.

The proposed six-storey building will be built on land next to the current Leighton Hospital and NHS leaders said it would be the "most digitally-advanced" in the UK.

The planning application also includes a 1,000 space multi-storey car park and the demolition of the current South Cheshire Hospital building to be used as temporary car parking.

Cheshire East Council is set to discuss the plans at a meeting on Tuesday.

The plans for the rebuild was included in the government's New Hospital Programme due to the 1970s RAAC within much of the building.

RAAC is an aerated form of concrete with a lifespan of 30 years, and Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has spent more than £100m on inspection and remedial works since 2020.

Three local residents have objected to the plans, around the visual impact of the six-storey building.

Two local parish councils have also made comments about the car parking planned for the new hospital, which will be the same as currently provided at the existing site, with one raising concerns that the number of spaces would not offset population growth in the area.

Planning officers said the scheme was "not without its impacts", but it provides a "unique opportunity to build a new state-of-the-art hospital for Crewe.

Cheshire East Council's strategic planning committee is to discuss the plans on Tuesday.

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