Newbury Showground touted as new site for rebuild of the Royal Berkshire Hospital
Future relocation of Reading's Royal Berkshire Hospital is currently being discussed, with one eye-catching suggestion being the possibility of it moving west, all the way over to a site on the Newbury Showground.
West Berkshire’s Health Scrutiny Committee convened this week to discuss the rebuild of the (currently) Reading-based hospital.
The reason for the possible relocation is the sheer cost of renovating the existing building, which - in parts - has stood as a hospital serving the people of Berkshire for more than 175 years. It's estimated that a full repair job would cost over £200m.
'The Royal Berks' is one of a slew of some 40 new hospital building projects which have been discussed as candidates for Department of Health investment in the next decade. Other potential sites for the hospital include The Thames Valley Science Park in Shinfield and White Waltham Airfield, just outside of Maidenhead.
Wokingham Council have also expressed an interest in having the rebuilt hospital built between junctions 10 and 11 of the M4.
"An obvious place to put it would be just off Junction 11," suggested Councillor for Burghfield and Mortimer Ward Graham Bridgeman. "It's not far from a train line and the new Green Park Station, but unless the Treasury comes up with the cash, it's just pipe dreams," he added.
One other, slightly more realistic and likely scenario, would see the hospital rebuilt - at least partially - on its existing site.
The plans are open for suggestion to the public. You can have your say on the matter here.
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