West Suffolk Hospital

13.39 The West Suffolk Hospital in Hardwick Lane opened in 1974 and serves a wide catchment area. The hospital is a major employer and generates a high number of individual trips from its catchment area. Transportation arrangements, sustainable travel and on site parking are important issues associated with the use of this site. Next to the hospital is the St. Nicholas' Hospice. Combined, these facilities have grown in response to the changing requirements of the Health Service and the needs of the local community. The hospital and hospice are in a landscaped setting dominated by mature, parkland trees and this can restrict development options. For this reason more land has been bought so this important community facility can expand. The Borough Council supports the continued growth of the hospital and hospice within the site allocation shown on the Proposals Map.

POLICY BSE14: WEST SUFFOLK HOSPITAL AND ST. NICHOLAS HOSPICE

Within the site shown on the Proposals Map at Hardwick Lane, Bury St. Edmunds (known as the Hospital Site), the local planning authority will support the provision of new buildings and extension of existing premises for health care and associated uses where:

• a) additional and adequate car parking is provided;
  b) a travel plan to reduce dependency on access to the Hospital Site by the private motor car is prepared and implemented; and
  c) the proposal would not have an unacceptable impact on the amenity of the hospital site and the surrounding area.

The amount of land available for development, location of uses, access arrangements, design and landscaping will be informed by a masterplan for the site. Applications for planning permission will only be considered once the masterplan has been adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document by the local planning authority unless the local planning authority is satisfied that the proper planning of the hospital site will not be prejudiced by the development going ahead in advance of the masterplan being agreed.