QEH demolishing landmark building to make way for new multi-story car park
It comes after the government announced that the QEH has been prioritised and added to its New Hospital Programme
Demolition gets under way today (Monday 5 June) on a landmark building at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust (QEH).
The Inspire Centre, which like much of the existing QEH is constructed from reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), is being demolished to make way for a new multi-storey car park.
It comes after the government announced on 25th May that the QEH – along with four other RAAC-impacted hospitals - has been prioritised and added to its New Hospital Programme, and serves as the first step to enable work for a new state-of-the-art hospital to be built.
The centre was originally home to the Trust’s social club, before housing a Montessori nursery and, most recently, being used during the COVID-19 vaccination programme.
Work to demolish the building kicks off today and is expected to take approximately four weeks to complete.
Whilst demolition takes place there is expected to be some noise and dust which local residents living nearby should be aware of.
Bosses say measures have been put in place by the contractor undertaking the work to keep this to a minimum, but admit some dust is inevitable.
They've apologised for any nuisance this may cause.
All car parking spaces adjacent to the building and the road next to it will be remain open for use while the work is under way.
Paul Brooks, Director of Estates and Facilities at the QEH said: “This demolition is the exciting start of our journey to our much-needed new hospital. The Inspire Centre has played a very important role in QEH life for many years. However, the building is affected by RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) and has a limited life span.
“This demolition will make way for our multi-storey car park for which we received planning permission in April and will allow us to fulfil our business case to build our new hospital on the existing main car park. This work is the start of our journey to ensuring we are investment ready to deliver a new hospital now that we have been added to the Government’s New Hospital Programme.”
The new car park will be built in two phases.
The first phase will provide 500 parking spaces and the second, to be built alongside a new hospital, will provide a further 879 spaces.
These will replace the existing car park at the hospital.