Wythenshawe Hospital set for health village transformation
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and Bruntwood have developed a 15-year masterplan to turn the hospital into a “sustainable health village” that could become “the next life sciences R&D destination within Greater Manchester”.
As well as revitalising the existing hospital estate, the vision would deliver space for life science occupiers, with plans to create a commercial and academic cluster, according to a strategic regeneration framework which has been drafted for the site by Deloitte and BDP.
The village would become home to uses which would complement the hospital, including lab and research space, offices, training and simulation facilities, as well as key worker homes, and care and rehabilitation homes. There is also potential for the site to include undergraduate medical facilities, and a facility for nursing and midwifery.
Wythenshawe Hospital has specialisms in respiratory medicine, academic surgery and oncology, cardiology, and cardiothoracic surgery, and is the location of the North West Lung Centre and the North West Heart Centre.
Development on the site would include homes for key workers and patients in need of rehabilitation
Throughout the redevelopment, the hospital would remain in operation, with a phased development brought forward on a vacant plot and buildings decanted.
The masterplan area covers land bounded from Tilson Road, Clay Lane, Jurassic Car Park, and Floats Road.
Part of the framework area falls within Green Belt, which is proposed to be released within the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, as part of the Roundthorn Medipark extension, which could deliver 850,000 sq ft of offices, labs and industrial space delivered by estate owner Bluemantle.
The current hospital estate is made up of a mix of 1960s and 1990s buildings, of between one to five storeys.
According to the framework, the Acute Building and Laureate House would be retained, Jurassic Car Park would be a priority for development, and it is the southern part of this plot which sits within the Green Belt.
As part of the drive towards net zero carbon developments, the overhaul of the campus would see a larger focus on staff encouraged to use “sustainable transport models”, with the site expected to benefit from an extension of the Metrolink Manchester Airport line, a bus station, and a greater emphasis on cyclists and pedestrian access.
However car parking is still expected to be necessary within the campus, so in order to replace the Jurassic Car Park, the development would see “carefully designed and located multi-storey car parks”.
The first phase of the project would be an enabling scheme to unlock plots on the masterplan for new clinical buildings, and would see the surface car parking consolidated into an MSCP, and the creation of a link road to provide vehicle access between Southmoor Road and Floats Lane.
The partners are undertaking feasibility studies on this phase, with a view to submitting an application this summer. The project is expected to be funded from income from the car parks, and deals with commercial occupiers.
The Trust and Bruntwood have a long-term property partnership, to support the delivery of clinical care, research and innovation space as well as development needed across the Trust’s estate.
The joint venture is already delivering the £150m Citylabs campus on Manchester’s Oxford Road, a development focused on life science and digital technology occupiers alongside provided facilities for academic research. Citylabs 1.0 completed in 2015, while Citylabs 2.0 is due to complete this year, which would then trigger the construction of Citylabs 3.0.
The draft strategic regeneration framework is due to be discussed by Manchester City Council’s executive committee today, and if approved would be put out to public consultation.
EVENT | Healthcare Property Update | Thursday 7 May
Click either image to enlarge and view Wythenshawe campus masterplan
- First phase of Wythenshawe campus redevelopment
- Final phase of campus development
