A new private hospital specialising in minor injuries and knee and hip replacements has been approved for a former B&Q retail warehouse in the Boucher Road area of south Belfast.
Affidea, Europe’s biggest medical care provider, announced its bid for the new facility on Boucher Road in 2023 — potentially creating up to 120 new jobs.
At the January meeting of the Belfast City Council Planning Committee (January 21), elected representatives unanimously approved an application for the development of the private medical facility.
The class C3 hospital will be built at units 2A and 2B at 38 Boucher Road.
The building comprises the former B&Q retail warehouse, which operated from 1999 until the DIY retail chain terminated its lease in 2016.
The occupier of the remainder of the building is the Range, a chain retailer selling home, garden and leisure products. The Range will continue to occupy the building.
The application states there will be “a significant element of overnight residential care.”
The development involves the change of use of part of a retail warehouse and the extension of the building, which will be one storey in height and will sit below the highest point of the existing building, with no height increase.
New trees are proposed at the front of the building and where the site bounds the main Boucher Road. In addition to this a “living wall” is proposed to replace fencing to the rear of the site.
The applicant is Norlin EV Limited, of Innovation Centre, Queens Road, Belfast. Council officers recommended the application for approval.
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NI Water was the only statutory consultee to object to the proposal. The application was advertised and neighbour-notified and no objections were received by the council.
The council planning report on the application states: “The applicant has submitted a statement of need with the application which highlighted the level of existing waiting lists for medical services maintained by the Department of Health and the local Trusts, who the applicant has been in discussion with.
“In Northern Ireland generally, according to the NI Audit office, recent estimates indicate that one in four people are now on a HSC waiting list.
“The scale and availability of facilities are a significant element of these waiting times and the availability of facilities is as important as staff availability in reducing waiting times.
“The proposed operator undertakes significant work with the NHS in relation to its waiting lists and will address more complex elective cases at this facility, particularly in relation to patients who are currently on multi-year waiting lists including orthopedics and endoscopy.”
It adds: “The proposed extension of the building is of similar appearance to the proposed unit with no increase in height. Existing and proposed materials consist of brick walling, metal cladding panels and glazing, consistent with the surrounding retail/commercial units.
“The vast majority of the proposal is for the re-use of the existing unit which has previous approvals for elevational changes that were deemed acceptable. Therefore, the design of the extension and alterations to the existing unit is in keeping with the surrounding character of the area.”
Alliance Councillor Tara Brooks asked at the meeting: “Will there be patients staying overnight? Is it day procedures or would people be staying for longer periods of time?
“This is related to concerns that it is a very deep-plan building. So if people are staying for more than one night, will there be adequate daylight?”
Another representative from the agent said: “This is about minor injuries and also about hip replacements. Because this is a private facility, their main concern is getting patients turned around quickly.
“While there is an element of overnight stays, they would see this as low level, especially in the early stages.”
News Catch Up – Thursday 23 January