Yahoo News South Tyneside District Hospital set for transformation as Bede Wing demolition approved
Plans to knock down a former mental health unit at South Tyneside District Hospital have been approved. The local council's planning department has given the go-ahead for the demolition of the old Bede Wing building within the hospital grounds.
According to a planning application submitted earlier this year, the former mental health unit was "built in 1995 and decommissioned in 2015" and has since "fallen into disrepair". South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust aim to tear down the site next year, with the demolition planned between January and March, 2025.
The application also mentioned plans for an 'aseptic and radio pharmacy suite' on the site of the former Bede Wing, a facility associated with the production and preparation of medicines. However, the trust's bosses previously emphasised that there is no "firm plan" for the future of the Bede Wing site after its demolition.
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They added that the demolition offers a "blank canvas to move forward", as well as opportunities to apply for national funding. After reviewing the application, South Tyneside Council’s planning department approved it on November 8, 2024.
A council report states that following the demolition, the land will remain "grubbed up" until a new use is agreed upon. It was also noted that the proposed method of demolition and site restoration would be acceptable, and planning conditions require demolition.
The council decision report states: "The proposed method of demolition would be appropriate given the scale of the building. The proposed method of site restoration would also be acceptable, leaving the site in a tidy condition."
Peter Sutton, executive director of planning and business development at the NHS trust, said in October 2024: "The Bede Wing has not been used for almost a decade now and is no longer fit for purpose. A key part of our estates strategy is to remove old buildings from our sites. These often cost us money, but do not help us as we care for our patients.
"Once this demolition is complete, it will give us a blank canvas to move forward. It also means if there is national funding that comes up, we will be ready to bid for it. We do not yet have a firm plan for the space it will create. We are very clear, though, that we do want to keep building and investing on our site in South Tyneside. Once we have some firmer plans to share, we will let people know about these."
The demolition of buildings at hospital sites are often proposed to replace ageing health infrastructure and to open up opportunities for improved facilities. At South Tyneside District Hospital, work previously took place to demolish The Leas building and a former staff accommodation block next door.
Sunderland Royal Hospital, which is part of the same NHS trust, has been given the green light to knock down a former sexual health services building to create additional parking. For further details on the Bede Wing demolition, head over to South Tyneside Council’s planning portal and use the reference ST/0631/24/DEM.
