Amazing footage of early plans for new Leeds Hospital unit

Amazing new images and video have emerged showing how a planned new pathology facility at St James’s Hospital could look when it is built.
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The building, which would sit on Beckett Street, Burmantofts, would bring together pathology services at Leeds General Infirmary and St James’s University Hospital into one two-storey building.

Although full plans for the unit are yet to be submitted to Leeds City Council for permission, a “pre-application” meeting took place to invite comments from planning chiefs on the applicants’ early concepts.

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A representative of Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust told a meeting of the council’s north and east plans panel: “We see this as an area that can really have regeneration in this site.

Artist impression of how the new facility could look.Artist impression of how the new facility could look.
Artist impression of how the new facility could look.

“We are trying to drive a high quality environment.”

He said that the building would not achieve a ‘net zero’ carbon footprint “on day one”, but hoped it would reach this within the next 15 years.

He added: “We have secured the funding already. We have done an extensive piece of work that looks into the impact of this new facility.”

The trust wants to demolish “a small grouping of low level 20th century buildings” in the north-east corner of the hospital site to make way for the new facility.

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A report by council officers into the scheme said: ” The demolitions would create cleared, brownfield land that can be redeveloped to allow for the creation of a new purpose built 2 storey building, plus a basement, of approximately 5,392 sq metres.

“The new building would house all the Trust’s Leeds Pathology requirements, allowing for a consolidation of pathology services from both SJUH and Leeds General Infirmary (LGI), bringing together Biochemistry, Haematology, Immunology, Microbiology and Cytology.”

Panel member Coun Ron Grahame (Lab) told the meeting: “I think we are on the verge of something great for the city.

“Contracts and partnerships are the way for the future, I am looking forward to working with you, not against you on this.

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“There will be value for money where procurement is concerned. Where pathology is concerned, I believe we need centralisation.”

Chairing the meeting, Coun Kevin Ritchie (Lab) said: “It does look like an exciting proposal for Leeds and beyond.

“Pathology is one of the unsung heroes of the NHS and the health service. The work done is vital to support patients, doctors and nurses doing their jobs.

“We look forward to the application progressing.”

A full application is expected to be submitted in the coming months.