Plans for an extension to a South London hospital have been met with over 100 objections online, with locals saying the new building would be “unneighbourly” and “overbearing”.
The King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has sent plans to Bromley Council for an extension to the Princess Royal University Hospital in Orpington.
The application includes a new two-storey endoscopy unit for the hospital that will “lead the region’s endoscopy provision for the next 10 to 20 years”, according to planning documents.
The trust said the number of endoscopy procedures in the next 20 years may increase by nearly 20,000.
The plans have received over 100 objections online, with locals calling the building “unneighbourly” and “overbearing”.
Mrs Linda Williams, a local resident in Orpington, said she wondered how the new unit would improve patient accessibility when it’s planned to be a separate building from the hospital.
She said: “Nothing has been straightforward since the very beginning when there was a lack of consultation and minimal information from the plans.”
Consultation letters were sent to neighbours of the hospital in May, June, August and September 2022.
A spokesperson for Princess Royal University Hospital said: “Following consultation with local residents, we have submitted a planning application to build a new endoscopy unit at the PRUH, so enabling us to provide enhanced cancer diagnostic and treatment facilities to our local people."
In planning documents, Gilling Dod architects, on behalf of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said the current endoscopy service at the hospital was not “fulfilling its obligations” to patients, and that the trust had communicated with residents using an information leaflet and email address for feedback.
They went on to say that the current “suboptimal” environment affects patient experience and staff morale. At present, people waiting for their procedure are encountering patients who may be in an “emotional state” after receiving bad news.
Ms Elaine McCaulaey, a neighbour to the hospital, said she was “very disappointed” by the plans. She said: “The building is massive, with no attempt to minimise the impact. For example, the storeys are extremely tall; there is no need for offices and training rooms to be anything like that high.”
The building is intended to be built on an existing car park on the site, with the hospital also making a new parking garage that will compensate for any spaces lost from the new unit.
Concerns were also raised about the effect the building would have on the area, with an assessment saying there would be a 10per cent loss in biodiversity from the construction.
However, the Bromley Biodiversity Sub-Group and Orpington Field Club said the figure could exceed 30pc if the grassland in the area has been incorrectly estimated. One resident called the current assessments of the site “inaccurate, misleading, and unprofessional”.
A Princess Royal University Hospital spokesperson said: “There is pressing need for additional clinical space to allow us to treat patients requiring an endoscopic procedure in a timely way.
“We will continue to work with Bromley Council and local residents to ensure any new development does not negatively impact them, and will benefit people living in the borough as a whole.”
A Bromley Council spokesperson said: “An application has been received for a new Endoscopy Unit and a substation at the Princess Royal University Hospital.
"The application will be determined at Development Control Committee, with the published committee report setting out the officer recommendation for this decision. Neighbours and local residents were able to provide their views on the application during the planning process in the usual way with comments received being summarised in the committee report.”
The decision on the new endoscopy unit and substation for the Princess Royal University Hospital will be decided at a Bromley Council meeting on January 10.
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