Wythenshawe Hospital’s 15-year regen moves ahead
Manchester City Council is to sign off a regeneration strategy this week to diversify and revamp the hospital’s estate and incorporate commercial and residential elements within the site.
A joint venture between Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and developer Bruntwood intends to transform Wythenshawe Hospital into a “sustainable health village”, which would include a complete upgrade of the hospital’s ageing estate.
Following a period of public consultation, the city council is expected to approve the overarching strategic regeneration framework for the project on Thursday.
Much of the existing hospital site is “dense and disjointed”, according to the draft framework, which aims to address multiple challenges faced by those who use the hospital by reducing distances between facilities, and improving the public realm.
In addition, the vision would deliver space for life sciences businesses by creating a commercial and academic cluster. The ‘health village’ would house other complementary uses such as 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, according to the framework, drafted by consultancies Deloitte and BDP.
The masterplan covers land bounded from Tilson Road, Clay Lane, Jurassic Car Park, and Floats Road in Wythenshawe.
Part of the car park is designated as Green Belt and is expected to be released for redevelopment into offices under the “Places for Everyone” plan, a joint plan being developed by nine of the 10 Greater Manchester boroughs following Stockport’s decision to withdraw from the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework.
Much of the existing estate is disjointed, according to the framework
The NHS trust and Bruntwood have a long-term property partnership to support delivery of clinical care, research and innovation space and development needed across the trust’s estate.
The organisations are also collaborating to bring forward a £600m healthy living campus at the 67-acre North Manchester General Hospital site in Crumpsall, and the £150m Citylabs campus on Oxford Road, which will provide space for life sciences and digital technology companies alongside facilities for academic research.
No! I object to the use of green belt land in Wythenshawe.
By Donna Ear
Can they ensure that the Metrolink extension from Roundthorn runs through the campus. Metrolink with its one level floors for both trams and platforms is ideal for wheel chair passengers. More than one stop on the campus would be useful.
By Bob Robinson
Greenbelt should stay greenbelt – surely there is a way of working the plans, which sound amazing and much needed, without cutting into greenbelt.
By Amoghalila Blakey
Most of those areas that are greenbelt are built up anyway with the industrial estate and houses and the metrolink so I can’t see it making much difference to the conservation of green belt land. If it enables the progress of medical studies and extends the hospital facilities, it’s not that bad a decision.
By Anonymous
Bob Robinson -TfGM plan to extend the Metrolink from Roundthorn down to the HS2 station at Davenport Green and then into the Airport from the west and Terminal 2, meeting the existing tram line at Terminal 1.
By Anonymous