PLANNING PERMISSION

Despite a clear preference for a City Centre site, the City Council has agreed in principle that permission could be granted for the development to go ahead at the Walsgrave site if a number of key issues, listed below, can be resolved. The site does not presently have planning permission and development at Walsgrave may run up against Central Government Planning Guidelines.

BUILDING ON A GREENFIELD SITE

The presence of Green Belt and areas of nature conservation and archaeological interest may prevent/restrict/delay development. Surveys are necessary before implications can be fully determined.

Details of public access arrangements are dependant on surveys but all access will be from Clifford Bridge Road. The need for alternative access for construction traffic has been identified but there is no easy solution.

FLOODPLAIN

The Government's Environment Agency has objected to building on the floodplain. Further studies are necessary to show that a scheme can be designed to overcome these concerns. This may increase costs.

PUBLIC ACCESSIBILITY

This is a key issue which needs to be addressed if the Government's policy of reducing reliance on the private car is to be followed. Reaching the site by public transport from within the whole of the catchment area must be made attractive to visitors and to staff at the hospital so that there is a real prospect of reliance on the car being reduced. These 'Green Travel Plans' can be costly to run as is shown by recent greenfield hospital developments elsewhere in the country.

IMPACT ON COMMUNITY

Close proximity of residential properties will require detailed consideration when the proposed positioning of the buildings is known. The effects on the local community will be investigated as part of a socio-economic study commissioned by the City Council.

CAR PARKING