Three staff accommodation blocks are set to be built at West Suffolk Hospital to replace the existing 40-year-old residences previously described as ‘substandard’.

Although the trust is yet to make a decision on the hospital’s long term future at the Hardwick Lane site - a feasibility study into the creation of a new health campus at Westley by 2031 is underway - the new accomodation is considered an urgent priority. It is hoped the new buildings would take between 12-18 months to build while any move away from the site could take up to 20 years. Plans submitted to St Edmundsbury Borough Council show that 160 rooms would be spread across three five-storey buildings and could be sited at the back of the Hardwick Lane site next to St Nicolas Hospice. Final designs will be drawn up following approval of the outline planning application.

Jacqui Grimwood, estates and facilities development manager at West Suffolk Hospital, said it was the hospital’s intention that a housing provider would deliver the project so building costs do not come from the NHS. She added: “At an early stage following the submission of the outline planning application, we are inviting local people to come and give us their views on the application while also answering any questions they may have.”

The public consultation event is on October 1 at the hospital between 2.30pm and 7.30pm.