North Manchester General Hospital Manchester, UK

Sheppard Robson has been appointed to transform the North Manchester General Hospital (NMGH) estate, creating a focal point for the community with integrated health and social care facilities, high-quality new homes and access to better education and training, alongside the creation of major new public open spaces.

The project – led by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust with Manchester City Council and Manchester Health and Care Commissioning, and supported by HIVE Projects – recognises that over 70% of the existing estate is in desperate need of rebuilding. Sheppard Robson has been appointed as Lead Consultant and Architect for the acute hospital buildings in collaboration with Medical Architecture, as well as the education centre and administration buildings.

Sheppard Robson has already been working on the masterplan for the development for nearly a year, leading a team that includes landscape designers Gillespies, transport consultant Curtins and planning consultant Turley. The overarching aim of the masterplan is to promote active and healthy lifestyles and the wellbeing of staff, patients, visitors and the community. The masterplan’s design principle is to create a highly sustainable collection of buildings set around a new “village green.” This high-quality green space will act as a focal point for the local community to use as an extension of the local neighbourhood for their health and care needs.

The project is one of the first to receive funding through the Department of Health and Social Care’s Health Infrastructure Plan (HIP) initiative, a major national initiative to invest in replacing and improving healthcare facilities. The £54m in funding for the project will allow for enabling works, the provision of temporary accommodation for admin staff and other site preparation activity to go ahead this autumn. By preparing the site for full development, once the blueprint and final funding for the redevelopment of the hospital site is agreed in early 2021, rebuilding work can begin shortly after that.

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