Plans submitted to more than double parking bays at Mansfield mental health unit

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust has made the application after purchasing the former St Andrew’s Healthcare facility on the Sherwood Oaks Business Park, off Southwell Road West.

The application is for 72 additional car parking spaces on land to the south of the hospital, along with three electric charging points.

It would see parking facilities increase from 56 to 131 parking spaces for staff and visitors, plus six disabled bays.

St Andrew’s, which provided low-to-medium level secure care for people with autism and learning difficulties, took the decision to sell the hospital last year as part of a Government push to care for more people in the community.

A planning report states: “The site is made up of an area of hard standing and grass. The area of hard standing has previously been used for overspill parking but with no formal layout.

“There are currently a total of 56 regular and six disabled parking spaces for the hospital.

“It was established under the former operator that this was not sufficient and that parking had occurred, during shift change overs and peak periods, on the verges and along the highway network outside of the site.

“The proposals seek to add an additional 75 spaces and once this complete there will be a total of 131 regular, and six disabled spaces across the site for use by staff and visitors. Infrastructure will be installed to allow for three electric vehicle charging within the extended car parking area.

“The site has recently been acquired by the trust and is currently in the process of refurbishment.

“The site is expected to be fully operational, with accompanying staffing and patient numbers by the end of 2021.

“In the initial stages of occupation both patients and staff will be relocated from existing facilities elsewhere in the trust’s jurisdiction.”

The move is part of a wider plan to reorganise mental health care in the area, with with provision for adults of working age to be housed at the newly-named Sherwood Oaks Hospital, while Millbrook, in Sutton, will specialise in the care of older people suffering from dementia and other age-related mental health issues.

Speaking at the time of the announcement, Sharon Creber, deputy director for Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are investing over £30m in mental health services, it’s a fantastic investment for Mansfield and its population.

“It’s currently a huge priority for the government to invest in mental health. We we did an appraisal of our options in Mansfield, and buying the St Andrew’s site, just four miles from Millbrook, seemed the best way forward.”

Last month Chad reported how separate plans had been submitted for a major development at Millbrook, based on the King’s Mill Hospital site, with four separate extensions and the creation of en suite accommodation for residents.

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