KGH car parking plan to help lay foundation for future hospital rebuild
Kettering General Hospital is set to seek planning permission for a proposed new multi-storey car park as part of works needed to enable its future hospital rebuild.
Local people and staff are invited to come and find out more about the car park plan, on the KGH site, ahead of a council planning application with North Northants Council due later this year.
A drop-in information session for the general public will take place at the vacant unit next to Greggs (previously occupied by Select) in Newlands Shopping Centre, Gold St, Kettering, NN16 8JA on November 28, from 1.30pm – 5.30pm.
The reason the hospital is proposing to develop a 662-space seven-storey car park - close to the railway bridge entrance to the hospital- is because this would be needed to replace spaces lost at the site of its proposed rebuild.
The space that needs to be vacated to enable the rebuild is the area currently taken up by the hospital’s two main car parks, A and B, close to the main entrance – hence the lost car parking capacity needs to be replaced with the multi-storey car park.
In September Kettering General Hospital was listed as one of 25 hospitals in scope for a review of rebuild funding as part of the Government’s Review of the New Hospital Programme (see Government website) with announcements expected in the New Year.
While the Review is ongoing – and to prevent unnecessary delay – the hospital is proceeding with necessary planning processes as part of its preparations.
University Hospitals of Northamptonshire Group Director of Strategy, Polly Grimmett, said: “Carrying out a significant rebuild of very busy hospital site is a huge undertaking and requires a lot of forward planning.
“We need to plan to keep all parts of the hospital running and part of that involves re-providing car parking.
“While we await the outcome of the Government’s review of the New Hospital Programme it is important that we continue to do the supporting work needed to enable us to be ready to rebuild.”
The developer supporting the hospital with the new car park is Prime PLC - named Property Developer of the Year for the last five years by Health Investor – and is a company with a wealth of experience in delivering new hospital car parks, including an award-winning multi-storey car park for Dorset County Hospital (also built to enable the creation of new hospital buildings).
The planned multi-storey car park itself will support disabled access for patients and visitors with internal lifts and a bridge to the main hospital building. It would also have cycle storage and change facilities and electrical charging points which support the Trust’s Travel Plan.
Guy Kippen, Associate Development Director for Prime said “At Prime, we understand a hospital car park is more meaningful than a place to leave your vehicle. It can remove stress from your journey to an appointment, or be the well-lit, safe place you return to after a long work shift.
“We embark on this project understanding it’s a vital first step in the delivery of new hospital buildings which will serve Northamptonshire for generations to come. With the help of community feedback, we will ensure we develop a parking facility that works in harmony with those plans.”
The hospital wants to start work on the car park in 2025 and hopes it can be completed in 2026 to support preparations for the new hospital build in 2027.
The multi-storey car park would not create new spaces on site because, in the event of the rebuild, the current car parks A&B would be lost under the new development.