Hospital workers given priority in new housing development

HOUSING for hospital workers will be a priority for the redevelopment of land close to the edge of Christchurch.

At its meeting at the end of last month, BCP Council’s cabinet approved the new approach for the Wessex Fields site behind Royal Bournemouth Hospital, writes Josh Wright of the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It would add a residential element to the science and business park ambition, and council leader Vikki Slade said they hoped to “do something really innovative and forward-thinking” with the land and that a road through it was still a possibility.

The site was bought in 2017 for £2.25m with the aim of creating a new science and business park connected with a controversial new A338 junction.

Planning permission for the road link has been granted but the new ruling administration shelved the northbound flyover after taking over the council in last year’s elections.

At the beginning of this year a consultation was held to gather views on the preferred use of the land.

Three priorities – health research facilities, a ‘living lab’ and for the first time key worker housing – were identified and these have now been agreed as the planned approach by the council’s cabinet.