The Barts and The London New Hospitals Programme is the largest PFI healthcare scheme ever to be signed in the UK - and is currently the largest in Europe (£1.4bn).  The scheme incorporates the redevelopment of St Bartholomew's Hospital in the City of London and The Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel, which, when complete will deliver world-class healthcare provision for the people of the City of London, east London and beyond. The 42-year contract includes a construction programme, worth around £1 billion, to be undertaken by Skanska with planning issues being resolved by RPS.

The substructures for the Two Towers at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel have recently been completed and the Hospital is now taking shape. Due to the phased redevelopment of the Hospital, and in order to keep facilities open during the redevelopment works, there are still many detailed planning matters to approve with the Local Planning Authority. RPS is managing this process on behalf of the contractor, Skanska. RPS is also managing a similar process on behalf of the same client at St. Bartholomew's Hospital in the City of London, which is undergoing a similarly major redevelopment, and is at a similar stage on site.

The Royal London, which has had many famous patients, including John Merrick (aka The Elephant Man), will become Britain’s largest new hospital, providing clinically renowned general and specialist services to the population of east London and into the expanding Thames Gateway.   The new hospital will feature two 18-storey glass towers over a podium block. The northern tower will provide a new helipad for London’s Helicopter Emergency Medical Service, which is based at the hospital. A ‘health mall’ will form the core of the redevelopment.  The proposals also include providing a new pedestrian link across Whitechapel Road to the nearby London Underground station.

The proposals for Barts (one of the oldest hospitals in the world - operational since the 12th Century) blend the hospital’s historic Grade 1 listed Georgian buildings with the modern architecture of the new buildings.  The new clinical building will create a state-of-the-art Cancer and Cardiac Centre of Excellence.  Now cleared of vehicles, the Historic Square will become an attractive pedestrian piazza at the end of the development.

Skanska is undertaking the design and construction project on the two sites, covering a built area of 270,000 square metres. This comprises new construction and refurbishment of some of the existing facilities. Skanska UK is also undertaking the hard facilities management and waste services over the 42-year contract period commencing July 2006. Ben Stalham of RPS’ London Cotton Centre office helped secure the full planning permissions on both sites and continues as town planning manager today.

Although both hospitals are controlled by the Barts and The London NHS Trust they are located in separate local planning authorities and, in order for either hospital to be redeveloped, both required full planning permissions. As a result, a suite of planning applications (including Listed Building and Conservation Area Consents) and accompanying Environmental Statements were prepared and submitted to the City of London and London Borough of Tower Hamlets for St. Bartholomew’s and The Royal London respectively.

All proposals were referred to the Mayor of London because of their strategic importance. Statutory consultees included English Heritage, Victorian Society, Georgian Society and the Civil Aviation Authority. The proposals protect and enhance the important Listed Buildings and Ancient Scheduled Monuments on both sites, enhance the Conservation Areas that both Hospitals are located in and safeguard the long-term provision of major healthcare facilities on both sites.

RPS has recently been appointed as by Skanska to provide Town Planning and Environmental consultancy in relation to the proposed £600m PFI redevelopment of Southmead Hospital in Bristol.

Contact:
RPS London Cottons Centre - P&D
T: 44 (0) 20 7939 8000