Two Brighton councillors have raised residents’ concerns about plans to modernise the Royal Sussex County Hospital.
Craig Turton and Warren Morgan, both East Brighton Labour councillors, support the planning application in principle.
But they want conditions agreed to make life more bearable for neighbours during the ten years of construction that would follow planning approval.
A decision is due to be made at a special meeting of Brighton and Hove City Council Planning Committee at Hove Town Hall tomorrow (Friday 27 January).
Gill Mitchell, the third Labour councillor for East Brighton, works for Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the Royal Sussex.
After taking legal advice, she has not signed the letter to Councillor Phelim Mac Cafferty, the chairman of the planning committee.
The letter from Councillor Turton, also written on behalf of Councillor Morgan, said: “We fully support this planning application although we have concerns regarding potential traffic congestion and the environmental impact the redevelopment, particularly during the construction phase from 2012 to 2019, may have on local residents.
“The people of Brighton and Hove deserve to be treated in facilities designed for the 21st century rather than cramped wards designed in the 19th century.
“We have been closely involved with the hospital redevelopment and with local residents who will be affected by this decade-long redevelopment since spring 2009.
“From February 2010, at the invitation of the trust and elected by local residents, I have chaired the Hospital Liaison Group (HLG).
“The HLG acts as a consultative mechanism by which residents and members of conservation societies meet regularly with the trust’s senior staff to have an open dialogue about and potentially influence the redevelopment plans.
“The HLG has been successful in influencing the architectural design of the new buildings and the final design has been significantly influenced by the views of local residents and expertise of members of conservation societies.
“Although adjoining but outside the East Cliff conservation area, the trust is to be congratulated on listening to the views of local residents and conservation societies and for instructing architects on a number of occasions to make significant changes to the architectural plans in order to complement the historic architecture of this part of the city and better meet the views of local residents.”
Environmental impact
“It is inevitable that the scale and decade-long length of this redevelopment will impact on the quality of life experienced by local residents and on their local environment.
“In recent years, residents have already had to endure significant inconvenience and disruption during the building of the new Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital including dust, noise, vibrations and contractors working outside agreed hours.
“The trust has addressed each of these issues in detail and has provided assurances that lessons have been learnt from the construction of the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital.
