Cornwall’s main hospital trust is planning to build new accommodation for staff struggling to find somewhere affordable to live.
Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trist (RCHT), has submitted a pre-application, a proposal suggesting the possibility of a development to see whether planning officers think it will be a good idea, to Cornwall Council for plans to build staff accommodation at Treliske.
Plans state the site would act as a buffer between the hospital campus and the Langarth Garden Village development – which was approved by a planning committee in 2021.
Documents submitted suggest the residential accommodation would be for hospital staff ‘typically for periods of occupation of between six and twelve months’. The development would mainly be one-bedroom self-contained units, but there is potential for some two-beds.
There have been two options submitted to the council – one shows several buildings of three-storey accommodation which would have 66 units and the second is comprised of several blocks with up to four storeys and 104 units of accommodation.
The site earmarked for the development is a car park next to the pharmacy technology building at the hospital which has 185 parking spaces.
Health and hospital bosses have previously revealed the cost of housing in Cornwall is having an impact on the ability to recruit and retain health staff. As a result, there has been increased work by health trusts to try and provide housing themselves which can be used by staff.
In November, Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust was granted planning permission to build six units in Redruth which could be used by staff.
RCHT have also previously supported plans to build dedicated key worker accommodation on a site close to the Truro hospital. Roberta Fuller, Head of Hospital Reconfiguration at RCHT, wrote a letter in support of the proposals.
Ms Fuller said: ‘In the post-Covid pandemic period, when our NHS staff are all extremely tired after over a year of going above and beyond to support the community in Cornwall through three waves of infection, the additional strain of seeking, securing and retaining a place to live is certainly impacting on our local workforce.
‘In addition, long distance ‘weekly commuters’ from Devon and beyond are starting to struggle to find short-term accommodation to continue to work at the trust without relocating fully.
‘The housing problem is not only one of finding affordable housing for students and younger members of the workforce; many of our skilled and trained medical and nursing staff are in mid-life with children, pets, and extended families to consider.
‘Finding affordable long-term family accommodation has become even more difficult since the Covid lockdown with the subsequent rise of house prices in Cornwall.’
Alongside trying to help hospital workers, in November 2022, Cornwall Council constructed plans to build new houses for people facing homelessness.
Photo by Benjamin Elliott
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