Construction work has begun on a new accommodation complex for NHS staff and medical students working at Yeovil Hospital.
The key milestone in the project was marked by a turf-cutting ceremony on the site of the town’s former Nautilus Works, just off the A30 at Reckleford, where the new accommodation complex will be built.
The key worker accommodation scheme is the latest project to be funded by Canada Life and delivered through Yeovil Hospital’s strategic estates partnership with contractor, Prime.
To date, the joint venture has delivered the hospital’s new multi-storey car park and link road, an emergency assessment unit, outpatient waiting area, and a special care baby unit.
Jonathan Higman, chief executive of Yeovil Hospital, said: “This was an exciting moment for the hospital. The accommodation being built will provide frontline staff with modern, high-quality accommodation just yards from the hospital site.
“It’s an investment into our future and one which will help us recruit and retain employees while adding to the vibrancy of the wider community.”
Leighton Chumbley, chief executive at Prime. Added: “The key worker accommodation complex is a much-needed scheme, which will not only improve the lives of the hardworking and dedicated NHS staff and students who work at the hospital, but it will also breathe new life into a town centre site, which has been derelict for a number of years.
“The turf-cutting ceremony celebrates our progress onto the next phase in the scheme, turning plans into real transformation for the town and the hospital workers who support it.”
Designed by One Creative Environments Ltd (One), the accommodation complex will provide 176 bedrooms in total in a mixture of one, two, four- and eight-bedroom apartments.
Located just 500m from the hospital, the scheme also includes shared living spaces and landscaped gardens to enable staff and students to socialise and relax away from work.
Planning permission was awarded by South Somerset District Council planners in November last year, and £20m of funding was secured for the build by Prime in December.
With building contractors now on site, the project is expected to be completed by late summer 2020.