Plans to access new Velindre Cancer Centre

Planning applications have been submitted to revise access roads to the new Velindre Cancer Centre.

Submission of the plans follows Cardiff City Council’s decision to process planning applications again after a pause caused by the coronavirus pandemic.  

The plans cover new road and car parking layouts at the Asda store in Coryton where the main access to the new Velindre Cancer Centre will be.

Velindre University NHS Trust is also seeking to extend the period when the temporary construction road on the Whitchurch Hospital site can be used.  It wants to use the road both for construction of access to the new centre and for part of the construction of the centre itself. As a result Velindre can reduce costs and bring forward the opening date.

Dr Jaz Abraham, Medical Director at Velindre University NHS Trust, said: “The number of people diagnosed with cancer is increasing. Wales has some of the lowest cancer survival rates in the western world.

“The 60 year-old Velindre Cancer Centre does not have the facilities or space to meet this future challenge.

“So, we have planning permission to replace it with a new cancer centre on nearby former hospital land. The new centre will treat more patients and help more people live longer with cancer.

“The new centre will also further support international research and development aiming to make Wales a world leader in cancer treatment.

Project Director David Powell said, “We are now planning how we build the new Velindre Cancer Centre. Access routes to the new site are key to this and we’ve consulted with local people before submitting the planning applications

The plans for the two applications will be published by Cardiff City Council on its website after they have been validated. The council will then consult on them.

Velindre has made changes to the plans after consulting local residents and community groups in March. The main changes are the additions of:

• A footpath, with lighting, linking the main Whitchurch Hospital entrance to the new cancer centre site.
• A layby to serve health board offices on the Whitchurch Hospital site
• Pedestrian crossings from the car park on the Whitchurch Hospital site to the offices, chapel, bowls green, cricket and football pitches.

In addition to these changes, Velindre has committed to work with the council to investigate whether additional zebra crossings or other road safety measures on Park Road are needed.

The Trust has also responded to concerns about the surfacing of the existing road to the north of the Whitchurch Hospital site, pledging to make improvements if it won’t withstand additional construction traffic.

To reduce disturbance for players who use the bowling green on the Whitchurch Hospital site, Velindre has offered to work with the bowls club to provide screening.

To help people walking from the Hafod housing centre at Whitchurch Hospital, Velindre will review the barriers by the pavement and repair the drainage problems at the junction with Park Road.

David Powell said, “We have listened carefully to the many comments and opinions expressed during the pre-planning public notification period and we’ve improved our proposals as a result.

“I recognise that some people remain concerned about the planning consent we already have for the development as a whole. We want to work with people, whatever their views, to minimise its impact and to enhance the site as sensitively as we can.”

Serving the whole of South East Wales, the new centre is due to open in 2024. It will have the capacity for 8,500 new patients and 160,000 patient appointments a year – up from the current levels by 2,000 and 20,000.

In the spring of 2018 Cardiff City Council granted planning permission for the new centre on NHS land with a main access from the Asda site, an emergency access from Hollybush Road and temporary construction access through the old Whitchurch Hospital site and Lady Cory Field.