The safety of motorists and pedestrians has been questioned for a proposed new road in Nottinghamshire. A new access route will serve a huge medical facility which is being built near the village of Stanford-on-Soar.
A £100m 'National Rehabilitation Centre' (NRC) is being built on the Stanford Hall rehabilitation estate which sits in the countryside in the most-southerly parish in Nottinghamshire. The NRC will treat people who have undergone significant traumas, have long-term conditions or who have life-threatening injuries.
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH), which runs the Queen's Medical Centre and City Hospital, will run the service. It is being built amid a shortage of beds for specialist rehabilitation in the East Midlands and the new site will be one of the projects to be delivered as part of the Government’s plans to build 40 new hospitals by 2030.
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Current rehabilitation services will be transferred from Linden Lodge at the City Hospital in 2024. The 70-bed NRC is being built alongside the new defence rehabilitation centre which is operated by the Ministry of Defence which started treating patients in late 2018.
Planning documents have revealed a new access road will have to be built to serve the facility. This will require a new junction off the busy Melton Road.
Documents state: "The access road to the national facility has already been approved as part of the hybrid permission and was envisaged to be constructed with the main facility in a single phase. However, as the scheme has progressed, BS Stanford would like to construct the internal access road before commencement of works on the main NRC building.
"This is because the access road would be built simultaneously with the Melton Road junction works, which are scheduled to take place ahead of principal construction. This would assist with efficiencies in delivery of the project."
While there are yet to be any objections a parish council has questioned what the developer will be doing to ensure road safety. Bradmore and Stanford Parish Council clerk Rebecca Hague said: "Stanford-on-Soar Parish Council has no objections to this application but would ask that road safety measures are reviewed and that given the close proximity to multiple junctions, adequate measures are put in place to slow the traffic flow through the area."
Planning documents however highlight some key changes to the original plans to ensure safety. They add: "The junction will be located approximately 100m to the east of the junction with Loughborough Road. An internal access road would lead from the highway junction, through a wooded area, to the car park serving the NRC development.
"Pedestrian access to the NRC would be via a dedicated footpath and cycle path adjoining Melton Road near the NRC vehicular access point. This would connect the defence, and national facilities to the bus stop on Loughborough Road.
"The access road to the NRC passes westwards through Ash Plantation and Lings Spinney and incorporates a two metre wide dual footpath and cycleway.
"The footpath route is on the alternate side of the road to the original planning permission. This is due to the location of the pedestrian crossing point on Melton road being further down the road to allow for the right turn filter junction.
"The pedestrian crossing point has been proposed further down the access road to maintain the same pedestrian access point to the NRC car park and site. The changes maintain a functional, safe and attractive off-carriageway route for cyclists and pedestrians, proportionate to the anticipated level of use, whilst minimising impacts on the woodland area."
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