REVEALED: PLANS FOR MAJOR NEW CANCER CENTRE
PROPOSALS UNVEILED FOR REVAMPED VELINDRE CENTRE AT NEW CITY SITE, WHICH COULD BE UP AND RUNNING IN FIVE YEARS
PLANS have been unveiled for a huge new Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff, which could be open within five years.
The new facility for 1,000 members of staff is planned for the north of the city on land to the north of Whitchurch Hospital playing fields.
Draft planning application details show the proposed Velindre Cancer Centre would include a specialist cancer treatment centre, a centre for learning, research and development facilities, temporary construction accesses, parking, energy centre, landscape works, and pedestrian paths.
Its main access would be from Coryton interchange with emergency access via the Hollybush Estate.
The proposals have already sparked some concerns locally about traffic and parking.
Velindre NHS Trust is hoping to submit an outline planning application for the development of the new Velindre Cancer Centre to Cardiff council in May.
If planning permission is granted, the first patients could be seen at the new centre by September 2022.
A planning statement listed on the Transforming Cancer Services website detailed how no surgical treatment would be undertaken at the centre, but services provided would include radiotherapy, chemotherapy, pharmacy, inpatient beds, outpatients services, support services, and imaging.
A Maggie’s Centre is also proposed for the 14.5-hectare site – which would provide free practical, emotional and social support to people with cancer and their family and friends, following the ideas about cancer care originally laid out by Maggie Keswick Jencks.
The new facility would aim to make Velindre an international focal point for research and development, with an emphasis on expanding clinical trials.
A patient hub would be built at the centre, allowing them to register for appointments, wait for treatments and consultations, and access areas like multi-faith facilities, a cafe and restaurant.
A planning statement, prepared to support an outline planning application for the new centre, said: “The need for the development is set by the Welsh Government health strategy Transforming Cancer Services in South East Wales, of which the new Specialist Cancer Centre and education institute are central to addressing the predicted future increase in incidences of cancer.
“The existing facility cannot achieve the key requirements for future provision and hence it is necessary to replace it on an alternative site, which is constructed whilst the existing facility remains operational.
“The scale of the proposed development is necessary to accommodate future predicted demand, in terms of patients, to increase potential operational efficiency, and also to allow flexibility to take into account future technological advances.
“The planning application for the development is in outline form only with all matters of detail reserved for future determination. It is considered then that, whilst it will clearly have inevitable environmental impacts, these will be reduced to acceptable levels through mitigation and enhancement. Overall it is considered, having regard to the level of compliance of the scheme with planning policy, the EIA evaluation of the impacts / mitigation, the benefits of the location, and the overwhelming wider health need for the project, that on balance outline planning permission should be granted.”
The Transforming Cancer Services (TCS) in South East Wales programme is being run by Velindre NHS Trust, which provides tertiary cancer services cancer treatments (which aren’t provided by GP or local hospital) for south east Wales. It also offers specialist cancer treatment to patients from all over Wales.
The TCS team said it has been working closely with the Welsh Government, Whitchurch residents, Velindre staff and patients, as well as other interested groups, to move the project forward and try and ensure it gives Wales world-class cancer facilities and services in future.
The current Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff would be decommissioned following the opening of a new centre, planned for September 2022.
But concerns have been raised about parking, traffic implications and the impact on the environment, should the development proceed.
Alan Wright, chairman of the Hollybush Estate Tenants and Residents Association, said residents were hoping more public meetings would be held so they could learn more about the development.
He said: “At the moment we’re taking quite a balanced view on this, but we have real concerns regarding parking in the area.
“We’ve done a lot of work with the local school to try and minimise the amount of traffic in the area due to road safety.”
Speaking about the future of the current Velindre site if a new centre was to be built, Mr Wright said: “We don’t want the whole area to be gridlocked with traffic.
“We’re hoping there’s going to be some public meetings.”
The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Wales) (Amendment) Order 2016 now requires draft planning applications to be available for comments for a minimum period of 28 days prior to formal submission to the council.
All of the draft planning application documents are available by visiting www.transformingcancer services.wales
Anyone wishing to make comments on the proposed application is asked to address them to info@ theurbanists.net or The Urbanists, The Creative Quarter, 8a Morgan Arcade, Cardiff, CF10 1AF by May 8, 2017.
Interested parties will also have the chance to comment on the plans at a public exhibition being held at Whitchurch library from Tuesday, April 18 to Saturday, April 29.
The exhibition will be in the library’s computer room.
Residents with questions about the development can attend the following drop-in sessions: Tuesday, April 18: 10am-noon Thursday, April 20: 2pm-4pm Friday, April 21: 10am-noon Monday, April 24: 2pm-4pm Tuesday, April 25: 10am-noon Thursday, April 27: 2pm-4pm Friday, April 28: 10am-noon Saturday, April 29: 2pm-4pm