Traffic fears put brakes on hospital for elderly

Plans for the Royal Victoria hospital to be built beside the Western General were expected to sail through the planning process.

But health chiefs were stunned when the city's planning committee continued the application, saying it was unhappy with traffic arrangements around the site.

Attention has been focused on transport at the Western after an elderly woman was knocked down and killed on the site last year.

The Health and Safety Executive has had lengthy discussions with NHS Lothian about the matter, but councillors felt the traffic arrangements were still not up to scratch.

Labour's health spokeswoman, Councillor Lesley Hinds, whose Inverleith ward contains the Western, said: "I am in favour of the Royal Victoria moving to this site, but there were some problems with the traffic arrangements.

"It's going to be a much busier place with that hospital there and we needed to be convinced that the transport around the site would work. It's up to them to come back with that."

While this has been a setback for the health board, it should not affect the designs of the hospital or significantly delay the process. The estimated completion date for the 44 million facility – which will have single rooms for all patients to give them increased dignity and cut the risk of infection – is thought to be sometime in mid-2012.

A council source told the Evening News: "There isn't a problem with the application itself, but just because it is NHS Lothian doesn't mean it can go through unchallenged.

"The council has already bent over backwards on this one but can't accept the traffic proposals as they stand."

The hospital, which will move from its site down the road, is a key part of NHS Lothian's vision for an "urban village" at the Western, which would see its return to a "24-hour" hospital and possibly include future accommodation for parts of the Royal Edinburgh psychiatric hospital.

Jackie Sansbury, director of strategic planning and modernisation, said: "It is certainly not back to the drawing board for the Royal Victoria building.

"The planning committee of Edinburgh City Council has simply delayed its decision and asked for more information regarding future traffic management around the site.

"Councillors on the committee have already been given these plans and they will be put forward at the next available meeting to allow us to move forward."