Plans to build a new hospital wing in East London has been stopped in its tracks after it was revealed that building work had already begun despite planning permission not yet being granted.
During a meeting with Newham council's strategic development committee on Tuesday (June 20), councillors were "shocked" to discover construction had already begun for a new three-storey building at Newham University Hospital.
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Plans for the building were submitted in November 2022 and if approved, would provide 14 critical care beds for patients who are seriously ill as well as 26 additional beds for other patients.
Simon Ashton, the CEO of Newham University Hospital, told the committee the new ward would reduce a backlog of surgeries and would provide 'state of the art' healthcare facilities for critically ill patients.
Mr Ashton said: "As I'm sure you'll all be aware Newham has significant challenges in terms of its population health, there are also inequities of service provision for Newham residents across North East London.
"Our ambition has been to remedy some of these inequities and improve population health across the borough by investing in hospital infrastructure."
Planning officer, Dan Legg, then introduced the planning application to the room and explained that it had been recommended for refusal as it had failed to meet certain planning requirements such as providing jobs for local people and that the external finish of the building was of 'low quality'.
He said: "In terms of design, the proposed external finish of the building is of low-quality and the applicant had several opportunities to provide a high quality finish to the building however they have failed to work positively with planning department." Mr Legg and other planning officers said in documents that building work had begun this month 'despite the proposal not being granted planning consent'.
Chair of the strategic development committee, Cllr Rachel Tripp said: "I just want to double check what I'm seeing here is that you've built the buildings without planning permission and the planning officers didn't know that had happened, does anyone want to rebut any of that?"
In response to Cllr Tripp's concerns, the applicant said there was a 'pressing need to commence' because of patient requirements and wider issues that had been outlined by Barts Health NHS Trust. Cllr Madeleine Sarley Pontin of Forest Gate South Ward admitted she was "very shocked" that building work had already begun.
Cllr Pontin said: "The fact you've actually started construction... I am shocked, very shocked. The point is I've also been a patient at Newham [University Hospital] for multiple surgeries and I'm very happy with the care I've always received there, but what concerns me is... the fact you find the people of the borough do not have any skills useful to you, I find almost quite insulting."
A member of the applicant's team said: "Sorry you are offended, because that is most certainly not our intention. Our intention has always been to do the best we possibly can for our patients. We acknowledged we should have engaged with your officers much earlier than we have and we apologise that that hasn't been done."
Cllr Musawwar Alam later commented: "I agree there's a pressing need to expand the hospital. I was born in Newham [University Hospital], it's a good hospital and I agree there's a need to expand [it] but it's disappointing to see you, the applicants think that you are above planning policy and you've gone ahead and gone ahead with construction."
Cllr Alam went on to say: "It's embarrassing that you've come here with all this opportunity, you knew this was going to come out and you've ignored all that and you've still have turned up to this meeting and you're not engaging with planning officers. I'm not sure what you're thinking is, maybe you can answer my question and you thought, 'oh we can go ahead and construct this'."
By the end the meeting, which was tense at times, the committee proceeded to vote however Cllr Carleene Lee-Phakoe requested the planning application be deferred until issues had been resolved. She said: "You've openly said today you've approached this wrongly... a thorough conversation needs to happen between the DRP [Design Review Panel] and planning officers to get the application where it needs to be."
The applicant said it would welcome a deferral, but warned that it could take longer than a month and could instead around three months. The committee then proceeded to vote on deferring the planning application in which five members voted in favour of the deferral and was therefore carried.
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