A proposal to build a new £21m psychiatric treatment facility for young people in Nottingham has received planning permission.
Plans for the unit, based in Foster Avenue, Woodthorpe, were unveiled in October last year and recently received planning approval from Nottingham City Council.
Built on The Cedars, a former rehabilitation centre, the facility will include a 24-bed unit for children and adolescents as well as support for families and other patients.
It would be the largest building on site providing specialist inpatient care for vulnerable young people, including those who have conditions resulting in self harm and psychosis.
The site will also include a school for young patients to ensure they can still access education while receiving care.
In addition, a smaller perinatal and outpatient facility will provide support to mothers with mental health needs, as well as an eight-bed psychiatric intensive care unit for teenagers.
The centre is expected to be complete by late 2017.
It is being funded by Nottinghamshire Healthcare, which provides mental health services across the county.
Dr Lucy Allsopp, consultant psychiatrist for adolescent inpatients at Nottinghamshire Healthcare, has been the clinical lead for the rebuilding project. She said: "The current facilities are not purpose built for adolescents. It isn't a building adapted to have teenagers with mental health illnesses.
"As the years have gone by, the standards of care have developed nationally and we have found it harder and harder to keep up.
"This is about saying what we need for young people and their families – the people and the care is good, but the buildings have shortcomings and the trust know about that."
The adolescent unit will help treat a number of conditions including OCD, depression and eating disorders.
