Reserved matters approval has been granted by Calderdale Council today, Tuesday 21st October, for a new clinical building at Calderdale Royal Hospital. The new building will include eight wards, and a new emergency department - with separate areas for adults and children.
Due for completion in 2029, the new clinical building will be a landmark development for the local area, designed to provide people with high quality, compassionate care for generations to come.
Reserved matters approval means that the detailed designs for the building, such as it’s appearance, layout and landscaping, have been agreed.
Chief Executive, Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT), Rob Aitchison, said: “This is a significant moment for our hospital Trust, our patients and our colleagues, and marks an important part of our journey to deliver care closer to home in the community, supported by sustainable and innovative healthcare in our two hospitals. This investment will improve the experience of patients using our services, and colleagues, who will have access to state of the art, purpose-built facilities which are fit for the future.”
The Trust appointed Laing O’Rourke in partnership with Arcadis and AECOM to take forward the design and planning for the new building in 2024. Extensive engagement and feedback from patients, the public, health and care staff at the Trust, as well as local health and care partners has been incorporated into the plans.
Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Transformation and Partnerships, CHFT, Anna Basford, said: “Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the design of our new clinical building. We have heard from members of the public, our patients, and colleagues about what they would like to see, and used this feedback in our design plans. It’s an exciting time ahead in our Foundations for our Future programme. We hope to start the build in summer 2026, subject to final approval of our business case from the Department of Health and Social Care.”
The design honours the important heritage of Halifax and is complementary to the local area using specially selected materials and colours. It will be the same scale as the current buildings and will link to the existing hospital.
Watch a fly through of the new hospital building here.
Sustainability and biodiversity has been promoted throughout the design using the world’s leading assessment method known as BREEAM, with the scheme targeting an ‘Excellent’ rating. This includes measures to create an overall positive impact on the local environment and maximising sustainability in areas such as energy efficiency, waste segregation, recycling and mitigating pollution.
Laing O’Rourke’s Project Leader, Christopher Northwood, said: "We’re proud to be part of this project delivering new emergency departments and inpatient wards at Calderdale Royal Hospital. This is a transformative development that will not only improve healthcare facilities but also strengthen the wider community.
“We are committed to creating an environmentally responsible site which minimises carbon emissions, air pollution, and waste generated during construction, and delivers new facilities which employ modern methods of construction, and are energy efficient and maintainable in line with the ambitions of the NHS Net Zero Standard. The new facilities will also achieve Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) Excellent certification, and provide enhanced local biodiversity.”
"We look forward to working in partnership with CHFT to generate lasting social value by supporting local employment, apprenticeships, and supply chains across Calderdale and Kirklees. Investing in local people and local businesses will ensure that the benefits of this project continue long after construction is complete.”
In the coming months the Calderdale Royal Hospital site will be getting ready for construction to start, including the installation of essential services such as power and water.
The new clinical building at Calderdale Royal Hospital is part of the Foundations for our Future programme, which is a long-term plan to transform hospital and community services in Calderdale and Huddersfield.
