CHESTER City Council is urging people to have their say on major redevelopment proposals at the Countess of Chester Health Park.
A draft development brief has been drawn up on the future use of the surplus land on the Health Park.
All three NHS organisations on the park - Cheshire West Primary Care Trust, the Countess of Chester Foundation Hospital NHS Trust and Cheshire and Wirral Part-nership Mental Health Services NHS Trust - have reviewed the long-term health needs of the local community in relation to the land available and have jointly concluded that some of land is surplus to their requirements.
The land extends between Parkgate Road (A540) to the west, Liverpool Road (A5116) to the east, Countess Way (A5480) to the south, the Shropshire Union Canal to the north west and the main railway line to Liverpool to the north.
Chester City Council has accepted the development potential of this site for 200 homes and two hectares for employment use. This is already included in the emerging Chester District Local Plan.
The land has been identified, partially, as a result of an £18m investment plan to relocate mental health services from outmoded buildings on the Health Park to new facilities on the site which have now been completed. The opportunity to release land is also due to the need for the NHS to meet new building standards laid down by the Government. This has meant some older NHS buildings now fall short of standards.
Government policy also now stipulates that surplus land should be released by the NHS unless it is needed in future to meet the needs of local health services
Ged Taylor, chief executive of Cheshire West Primary Care Trust, said: 'We are satisfied we have secured a future for the Health Park that is properly suited to the health care needs of local people.
'In addition, all three organisations have long worked with, and will continue to work with, Chester City Council to ensure that the planning brief for this surplus land for future residential and employment development is in strict accordance with the council's Local Plan.'
The development brief is in draft form and Chester City Council will soon be consulting on it. For further information call at the planning reception on the second floor of the council's Forum offices or visit: www.chester.gov.uk/countessofchester or call 01244 40 2286.
Chester residents are also invited to:
The Upton, Newton and Hoole Area Committee on March 16 at 7pm
Public exhibitions at the Countess of Chester Hospital 1829 Building from February 28-March 4; Morrisons Supermarket Foyer March 5-11; Chester City Council Forum Offices March 21-April 4.
Comments on the draft brief should be sent to Chester City Council by April 4 and addressed to the Forward Planning Team, Chester City Council, The Forum, Chester CH1 2HS.
