The NHS Trust about to oversee dismantling of a brand new hospital in Berwick has told The Bridge they refuse to consider a new location. They added that Berwick residents chose the current site.
‘We won’t be reconsidering the location,’ said the spokesman. ‘Remedial work is starting next week, but there is no full take-down or relaunch of the build.
‘In addition, the site was chosen following a lengthy process when public opinion was strongly in favour of the current site.’
Local businessman, Billy Flannigan, has offered a long-term lease on land south of Tweedmouth, adjacent to the A1.
‘I offered the site years ago and never heard back,’ Mr Flannigan told The Bridge. ‘It’s an ideal site with the ambulance station down the road and direct access to the A1.’
The Bridge has discovered that work to take apart the building entails additional architect/design fees for the rebuild of £318,798.
The Bridge first mentioned in August the possibility that the building was so defective that it would have to be taken apart and started again by the new contractor, Robertsons Ltd.
The Trust has confirmed it will remove ‘mechanical and electrical systems and pipework and internal walls and fittings…In late November work will start work to remove the façade and steel frame system.’
This is despite a Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHNHSFT) spokesperson denying to The Bridge, in August, in response to its question, that demolition was required. The response to the question whether this was planned was ‘absolutely not’.
New design work was contracted in March this year. East Midlands firm, Norder Design Associates in Belper won the work from Northumbria Healthcare Facilities Management Ltd on behalf of NHNHSFT.
While the Trust is planning a drop-in event on December 9, the effectiveness of this is being questioned by residents versus a public meeting which would allow the community to understand more clearly the position.
EDIT: The Trust is unable (or unwilling) to state how much more money on top of the £25 million, loaned by NCC in 2014, will be required.
If you ask pepple of Berwick npw they will tell you we want it relocated, its in the wring place totally
The only option is for people to speak up: hold a public meeting, demand NCC to call it in, talk to the MP or the Health Secretary. But Berwick people don’t tend to want to speak up. The original campaign for it to be in town was unusual and it’s not altogether clear why it occurred.
It occurred because it was going to be squashed in beside the new sports centre at Tweedmouth but the residents who voted for it to be in the town centre didn’t realise how big it was going to be, definitely needs relocated to outskirts of the town.
Thanks June.
I really meant why did the campaign occur at all? There are other crucial debates on developments in the town before and since but residents stay quiet.
I suspect the cost of relocating it now would be prohibitive. Remember, the sesign costs, foundations & framework are staying in place. This is not a total demolition.
Revenue could be extracted by selling the current site for commercial and or housing. The Trust has not revealed how much the rebuild will cost.
The current site is not only bad for the patients because of really poor access and inadequate parking it’s a nightmare for construction because of access constraints for heavy construction vehicles. In addition the current site could be sold off and used for much needed housing with the money raised offsetting any additional cost. The thing is years late so you might as well do it properly.
Scottish Borders Council were recently forced into a huge climb down on Eyemouth new Primary School provision. This was due to errors made in the consultation process and “misrepresentation” of the consultation feedback. This came to light following Freedom of Information requests made by a parent convinced that the people of Eyemouth were effectively being gaslit. Could someone who understands the decision making process the Council went through/consultation information to narrow down some salient FOI requests that might be made?
Hi Kazza
Thank you for this steer – very useful
I’ve been sending FOIs to the NHS Trust. Believe it or not they provided answers to the requests with the caveat that they forbade the answers be made public!
Obviously that’s a crock…
Anyone can send an FOI – use whatdotheyknow.com Get chatgpt.com to help formulate questions and interpret answers. I haven’t so far used chat for this. It’s our duty to our community and the next generations to ask these questions.
As a wise lady in Berwick said to me: ‘The price of freedom is eternal vigilance’