Glazed walkway to be built between two Sheffield hospitals

Patients will be transferred between Sheffield's Weston Park and Jessops Hospitals via a new walkway after planning bosses gave the proposals the green light.
How the new walkway will look.How the new walkway will look.
How the new walkway will look.

Sheffield Council has approved a planning application to build a covered walkway, which will be used to transport patients, staff and visitors between the two sites.

Kirsten Major, deputy chief executive of the trust, said Weston Park patients will now be able to use theatres at the Royal Hallamshire as there was already a walkway between Jessops and the RHH.

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A report by the delegated officer, approving the application, said the design of the bridge had been improved and simplified following concerns raised before the application was submitted.

It added: "It is considered that the proposed pedestrian link bridge, whilst unusual, has the potential to create an elegant structure within the townscape that marks a gateway into the hospital complex from the south west.

"It is also considered that materials and large scale details can be conditioned in order to secure a high-quality finish such that the bridge will not harm the character or appearance of the neighbouring conservation area."

A design and access statement submitted with the application said the trust needed to provide bracyhterapy treatment - a form of radiotherapy - to patients in Weston Park but building a theatre on the site would not be "economically viable".

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It said: " The current theatre suite is old and requires significant investment to update it; it is not ideally situated within the building. Also, the area would ideally be required for other developments within Weston Park Hospital.

"Following an option appraisal, it was concluded that the development of a new theatre suite on the first floor of a new building at WPH would be the most optimal solution.

"Other than the 'Do Nothing' option, the appraisal considered the transfer of patients to the RHH site using an ambulance. This option scored poorly due to the clinical and logistical deficiencies that this would create: however, at that stage the walkway was not thought to be feasible and was not considered as part of the appraisal.

"The transfer of patients via a walkway, while not the most optimal solution would be acceptable due to the fact that patients can be transferred easily between sites with minimal delay."

People living in the nearby Severn Court development objected to the proposals citing the walkway would affect their privacy and might lead to people attempting to park in their private car park.