Council approves plan for Rob Burrow Centre

PLANS to build a motor neurone disease centre in Yorkshire named after Rob Burrow have been approved by councillors.

Mr Burrow, inset, has helped raise millions for research into MND following his diagnosis in 2019. He has also campaigned for more awareness and research into the disease and was awarded a CBE in the New Year’s Honours list.

The Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease (MND), at Seacroft Hospital, in Leeds, was backed by the city council.

The building has been funded by Leeds Hospitals Charity, through its Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease appeal, which has now raised more than £5.6m of its £6.8m target.

According to a statement from architects Corstorphine

& Wright, the centre, which will be run by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, will “create comfortable and peaceful surroundings for patients and their families”.

The building has been designed in close consultation with the hospital’s clinical staff, patients, and the wider MND community, as well as the Burrow family.

The statement adds the centre will “be a hub of innovation, education, and excellence in the treatment of MND for the region, bringing together holistic patientcentred care in a purpose-built environment”.

Architect and associate director at Corstorphine & Wright, Toby Ingle, said: "Receiving planning approval for the new MND centre is another positive step forward for this project, and we are all so pleased that Leeds City Council has been so supportive of our vision.

"With this approval, we embark on the next chapter to transform compassion into reality, providing an exceptional facility for the care and support of MND patients and their families and ensuring a sanctuary where hope thrives, and lives are uplifted.” Drees & Sommer UK has been appointed as the project manager for the new centre’s development.

Emma Quinn, associate project manager at Drees & Sommer UK, said: “The Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease will make a real difference in the lives of many people, providing vital support in a modern environment tailored to the needs of patients, clinicians, and the local community.”

This weekend’s Rob Burrow Marathon in Leeds will also see thousands of people fundraising for charity, including for MND research.