A new cancer centre in Cardiff is on course to welcome its first patients by 2025, it has been confirmed. David Powell, project director for the new Velindre Cancer Centre in Whitchurch, said the project is "still on programme".
The £180m cancer centre, which will be situated on land near the existing hospital called the Northern Meadows, has proved highly controversial with some community members and clinicians who believe it would be better off next to a larger hospital like the University Hospital of Wales (UHW).
Dozens of cancer experts claim not having Velindre co-located at UHW would be a "missed opportunity". They also said modern cancer treatments needed a range of services on site including a surgery and intensive care unit. The Save the Northern Meadows campaign group, which has held several protests, warned that current plans would have a massive impact on biodiversity in the area.
Read more: No records exist of meetings that set the direction for highly controversial Velindre cancer centre
However, ministers gave the green light to the new Velindre, which will provide specialist treatment and facilities for learning, research and development, at the Whitchurch site in March 2021. Cardiff council also approved outline planning permission for the building - dubbed the " greenest hospital in the UK" - in 2017.
Following some concerns and confusion over a recent planning application submitted to Cardiff Council, which seeks an extension to the "reserved matters" submission associated with the development, a spokesperson for Velindre sought to reassure the public that the hospital is still set to open in three years' time.
"A reserved matters application is submitted following the submission and approval of an outline planning application," the spokesperson explained. "The reserved matters are usually items that have not yet been developed in detail such as layout and landscaping. There are no other changes under this application to the approved development.
"In this case, the application seeks an extension of two years from the original date for the submission of reserved matters which is scheduled for before 27/03/23, and a subsequent extension to commence construction to 27/03/25. The application was published on the planning portal today [July 19]."
David Powell, project director for the new Velindre Cancer Centre said: "The new Velindre Cancer Centre project is still on programme and we remain committed to welcoming our first patient in 2025. We are just completing the competition to appoint a developer to the agreed timescales.
"However, due to a number of unforeseen external events, including the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, in the current climate, we believe it would be prudent to build in contingencies into our plans."
It is estimated that around 230,000 people in Wales will be living with cancer by 2030. Mr Powell said the current site, which is more than 65 years old, "simply does not have the facilities or space to meet this future challenge". The Nuffield Trust concluded in a report in December 20202 that co-location at UHW would not be possible for "some considerable time".
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