The planning application for the £30m Sir Bobby Robson Institute at Freeman Hospital has been submitted this month.
Sir Bobby Robson was a former England football player who died of lung cancer. Robson formed the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, a cancer research charity, not long before he passed away in 2009.
The foundation has raised £20m already for this new facility and is fundraising for the rest.
With this planning submission, plans for the new £30m cancer treatment and research centre at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital, have taken a major step forward.
The new institute will bring together the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre and the hospital’s cancer and blood disorders research teams under one roof.
Architects on the project, P+HS Architects, and main contractor, Robertson Construction North East, have been working closely with the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and framework partner ProCure23, since January.
The team have developed a design for the building inspired by the molecular structure of a hexagon – a key feature of Rubraca, the first ‘Geordie cancer drug’
The teams have been providing pre-construction and design services from RIBA Stage 1 through to Stage 4.
As a team, the organisations have developed a design for the building inspired by the molecular structure of a hexagon – a key feature of Rubraca, the first ‘Geordie cancer drug’.
The three-storey building would provide more dedicated space to increase the number of clinical research studies taking place, using the latest equipment and technology.
Neil Kennedy, Regional Managing Director at Robertson Construction North East, said the milestone marked “the next step in delivering a facility that will have a profound impact on cancer treatment and research across both the North East and globally”.
If planning permission is approved, construction is due to begin in spring 2026, with the Institute expected to open in 2028.
Other recent work at the hospital includes work on number of major upgrades.
These include the rapid construction of a new Day Treatment Centre on a former staff car park, delivered in under 38 weeks and now housing four theatres with pre- and post-operative facilities to expand elective surgery capacity.
As well as, key wards and circulation areas have been refurbished with dementia-friendly layouts, improved wayfinding, brighter finishes, and modern healthcare furniture, creating safer, more efficient spaces for both patients and staff.
