New £25 million city hospital given green light by planners

Published on Saturday 18 October 2008 10:51

WORK is set to start on a new £25 million hospital and diagnostic centre near to Sheriffhall Roundabout after it was given the go-ahead by planners.

The Spire Hospital, which is expected to be open by the beginning of 2010, will include operating theatres, 15 beds, diagnostic facilities and a wide range of outpatient consulting services.

Around 70 jobs are expected to be created at the new hospital, owned by the same company as the Murrayfield hospital. It will be built on the new Shawfair Park business centre development.

Developers say the site is a prime location for new businesses moving to the Capital with transport links to the city centre, city bypass and airport. It is also on the proposed Edinburgh-Borders rail link.

Sandy Smith, development director at Buccleuch, which sold the three-acre site to Spire, said: "Planning approval for the new hospital marks a major milestone for Shawfair Park.

"The investment by Spire, the UK's second largest private hospital provider, is a vote of confidence in Shawfair Park, the wider region and the healthcare market, and we continue to see strong interest in this new development." Shawfair Park will provide around 300,000 square feet of office space along with a hotel and a number of other facilities to support the businesses that locate there.

It is said to provide the 'gateway' to the wider South East Wedge proposals, which is planned in the long-term to include 3500 new homes, two new schools and a town centre.

Midlothian Council's new 1.9m Sheriffhall Park & Ride facility will play a key role in supporting the developments.

Wally Bourdelov, hospital director of Spire's Murrayfield Hospital, said: "We are thrilled to secure planning approval at Shawfair Park and are looking forward to starting work on the new hospital, which will complement our existing facility in Edinburgh.

"This state-of-the-art hospital will provide major new employment opportunities for people in the area and we have already begun recruiting clinicians and support staff.

"This development reflects our commitment to investing in our hospitals, ensuring we provide the best private healthcare service possible and offer top quality clinical treatment and state-of-the-art facilities for our patients."

Developers intend the park to have a mix of headquarter-style buildings and smaller office facilities, despite the current economic conditions.

Cameron Stott, director of Jones Lang LaSalle, the property agent that acted for Buccleuch, commented: "With planning permission now in place we are extremely positive about the prospects for Shawfair.

"There has been significant interest in the developments and the location of Shawfair Park is a major attraction for potential occupiers."