Planning application process starts for new hospital

The new Monklands Hospital is taking an important step further forward as the official planning application process gets underway for the state-of-the-art new building at Wester Moffat.

NHS Lanarkshire this week submitted a formal proposal of application notice to North Lanarkshire Council, and will hold a four-week public consultation next month including two virtual live events.

Health board officials have also shared a new concept design image of the proposed hospital, showing its exterior and view towards its main entrance.

Monklands Replacement Project (MRP) director Graeme Reid said: “The team is absolutely delighted that the planning process is underway, marking another important step forward on the exciting journey to a new hospital for Lanarkshire.

“The fantastic input of stakeholders has been crucial to the project so far and we look forward to engaging with the community on the plans for the ultramodern new hospital as we progress through the planning process.”

Details of the newly-submitted planning notice have also been shared with community councils and Lanarkshire’s politicians – and views will now be sought from patients, residents, staff and community representatives during the public consultation.

The consultation will take place online and include live events on March 17 and 19 which will allow participants to take part in question-and-answer sessions with project team members.

A dedicated website for the planning application will be set up, while the existing MRP site at www.monklands. scot.nhs.uk includes full information on the proposals including the previouslypublished design images.

NHS Lanarkshire describe the start of the planning process as “another milestone” for the £400 million hospital, which is set to open in 2028 at the “picturesque site on the outskirts of Airdrie”.

The farmland site at Wester Moffat was first identified as a potential site two years ago, in an expanded and re-run search for a suitable location for a new hospital following controversy and public and political opposition to an original 2018 proposal to relocate the hospital to Gartcosh.

At 165 acres in size, the site sits between Plains and Easter Moffat golf course to the north, the Airdrie to Bathgate railway to the west, and Inver House distillery and Caldervale High beyond its southern extent. It will be accessed via the planned new 10km East Airdrie link road.

Former health minister Jeane Freeman officially approved the location choice 12 months ago and an outline business case is to be submitted to the Scottish Government later this year.

Health board officials this week praised the Wester Moffat setting as “eye-catching” and say the new hospital building “will be expertly tailored by architects to the scenic landscape, providing spectacular views and a healing natural environment”.

It is set to become Scotland’s first “digital hospital”, using built-in technology to help with patient care by highlighting those with deteriorating conditions, allowing medical staff to connect and making use of an operational command centre to maximise patient safety and flow and to address capacity issues.

The new Monklands will also become the elective orthopaedic surgery site for Lanarkshire, relocating the specialty including planned hip and knee replacements from its current base at Hairmyres to new and specially-designed facilities.

Following the relocation, the current Airdrie hospital site at Monkscourt Avenue is to be redeveloped as a health and wellbeing village in a joint project being discussed between NHS Lanarkshire, North Lanarkshire Council and Strathclyde University.

From above A design image showing an aerial view of the planned new hospital