Green light for £40m West Cumberland Hospital extension

Copeland Council has approved the 55,860 sq ft addition, which is the second phase of the redevelopment of the Whitehaven healthcare facility.

When complete, the extension will have a 16-bed stroke rehabilitation ward, 14-bed paediatric ward, 32-bed stepdown in-patient ward and a 24-bed in-patient ward. There will also be four specialist palliative care suites, shared physiotherapies suite and an enclosed courtyard garden. The ground floor of the extension will also have a retail space.

Set on a 5.7-acre site off Homewood Road, the extension was designed by Gilling Dod Architects. Main contractor Graham Construction is set to start work on the scheme in spring, with an estimated completion date of 2024.

The first phase of the West Cumberland Hospital redevelopment consisted of a £90m new hospital. It was completed in 2015.

The development team on the second phase included Curtins on transport and flood risk assessments, Wardell Armstrong on noise assessment, AECOM as ecological consultant and SAP Ecology & Environmental on bat surveys.

Layout of the West Cumberland Hospital with the new extension. Credit: via planning documents