Work begins on new maternity unit and car parks at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital
Plans have been drawn up for a new midwife-led maternity unit and car parks at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital, creating eight new jobs.
The trust that runs Shropshire's two acute hospitals has submitted the proposals, which outline plans to facilitate three birthing suits and ancillary accommodation, to Telford & Wrekin Council's planning department.
Builders have already started the work on behalf of the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) and are expected to finish by the end of January 2020.
Council highways officers previously warned SaTH its expansion approach eats up parking spaces and "a more holistic approach" should be considered.
The new maternity unit is being constructed on an existing car park, creating a loss of 23 spaces, but three new parking areas are being created to the north and northeast of the hospital in Apley Castle to make up for the loss.
The work is being done in efforts to improve patient flow during peak periods, a planning, design and access statement submitted with the application says.
The plans state: "It makes sense for the Midwife Led Unit to be sited adjacent to the existing Consultant Led Unit. Secondly, it will allow the existing MLU to be converted to a 21-bed acute ward.
"This will improve patient flow and ensure safe and effective care at peak periods, particularly during the autumn and winter months.
"It will require eight additional staff. The new facilities will cater for the needs of existing patients already within the trust's jurisdiction."
The plans add: "To ensure no net loss of parking spaces, it is proposed to create additional parking spaces in three distinct areas to the north and northeast of the hospital on existing grassy areas.
"These will provide an additional 20, 6 and 6 spaces, meaning a total of 32. In line with the timescale for the new MLU the parking areas are also scheduled for completion by the end of January 2020."
The plans also state that a large number of trees within parking areas A, B and C are subject to preservation orders.
In the proposals one small tree will be lost from site A, and a recently planted hedgerow will be removed from site C and replanted elsewhere.
