Surrey mental health hospital to be completely rebuilt
Chertsey’s mental health hospital will be entirely rebuilt to give patients a more modern and therapeutic environment.
Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has received full government funding for the redevelopment of the Abraham Cowley Unit (ACU) next to St Peter’s Hospital, unanimously approved by Runnymede Borough Council’s planning committee on Wednesday (February 9).
Modernisation of the ACU, which opened in 1988, will replace 73 dormitory style beds with 64 single ensuite rooms.
There is a trust and national policy drive to eliminate dormitory accommodation, the trust’s agent told the committee, and this will “improve patients’ privacy, safety and dignity”.
She said: “The current environment is not suitable for delivering the high quality care in respectful, safe and therapeutic environments that the trust and commissioning partners aspire to.
“Furthermore it is in a tired state aesthetically and performs poorly in terms of energy efficiency.”
The new facility will have four adult wards, each with its own enclosed garden.
Committee member Mark Maddox (Con, New Haw) said: “I think this is an excellent development, well overdue.”
There are currently 264 existing full-time employees and the application proposes 160 following redevelopment, but the the trust says no redundancies are planned.
A Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said in a statement: “We will be relocating some of the services currently based at the Abraham Cowley Unit to other premises within the trust and this accounts for the reduction in staff numbers at the hospital going forward.
“Changes to our bed provision were made at the start of 2021 following an internal review in 2020 to ensure we were in line with best practice recommendations from the Department of Health and Royal College of Psychiatrists on ward numbers.”
Construction of the two-storey build is scheduled for May 2022 to December 2023.
Patients will be moved off site while the existing buildings are demolished in a single phase.
The trust already has planning permission for a temporary single storey building to house 20 older patients while work is going on.
Runnymede Borough Council received five letters objecting to the development.
Speaking at the planning committee meeting, objector Grace Hale said she has lived on Holloway Hill directly opposite the hospital for 50 years.
She was concerned about a 4.2 metre roll top fence and asked the trust to keep a mature holly hedgerow.
“Anyone entering the hospital from the Holloway Hill entrance will think it was a high security prison,” she said.
Ashley Smith, corporate head of development management, said: “You can’t TPO (tree preservation order) a hedge.”
He added: “Everything indicates that the NHS is intending to act responsibly.”
Councillor Mark Nuti (Con, Chertsey St Ann’s) said: “I guess it’s difficult for residents when you move right next door to such a development such as St Peter’s Hospital, you are always going to be subject to potential change and improvements.
“The Abraham Cowley Unit definitely needs upgrading.”
It will lose 43 of its 50 car parking spaces and gain space to park 24 bikes.