Plans for a second community diagnostic centre (CDC) at Colin Campbell Court in Plymouth have been approved, paving the way for a new £25m facility that will expand access to diagnostic services and strengthen the city's emerging "health village".
Plymouth City Council has granted planning permission for the four-storey building, which will sit alongside the recently opened £22m community diagnostic centre delivered by BAM UK and Ireland on land donated to the NHS.
The original £22m facility, which opened last month, forms the first phase of the wider health village planned for the city centre site.
The scheme was designed by KTA Architects, a local architectural firm that also worked on the overall design of the recently opened CDC building with BAM.
The second centre is backed by up to £25m in government funding and forms part of the continued regeneration of Plymouth's West End while expanding community-based healthcare services.
Once complete, the new facility will provide a range of diagnostic and outpatient services, including MRI scanning, bone density imaging, hepatology, ultrasound, phlebotomy, glaucoma assessment, and clinical consultation and examination rooms.
The centre is expected to operate from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week.
The development is intended to reduce the need for patients to travel to Derriford Hospital for routine diagnostic tests, helping to ease pressure on the acute hospital while increasing access to services in the community.
Dedicated consultation and examination rooms will also support cancer care pathways and point-of-care testing.
"We're delighted that planning permission has now been granted, marking another important milestone in our plans to develop Colin Campbell Court as a centre for modern healthcare in the heart of Plymouth," said John Stephens, Director of Estate and Facilities at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust.
Stephens said the project reflected the close partnership between the trust and Plymouth City Council, adding that work is continuing with clinical teams and partners to finalise the services that will be delivered from the new building.
The approved scheme has been designed as a largely car-free development.
It will result in the loss of 78 parking spaces at Colin Campbell Court, while retaining five accessible spaces.
Planning documents state that the city centre location provides good access to public transport, with nearby bus services intended to encourage sustainable travel by patients and staff.
The building has been designed in line with NHS sustainability ambitions and is expected to achieve BREEAM standards.
The project will also incorporate modern methods of construction as part of the trust's wider approach to delivering healthcare infrastructure.
No public objections were submitted during the planning process, and planning officers approved the application under delegated powers.
"This development represents another significant step in creating a health village in the heart of our city, improving access to healthcare while supporting the continued regeneration of the West End," said Councillor Mary Aspinall, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care at Plymouth City Council.
