Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust has submitted a planning application for a new extension to Herm Ward, located at Alderney Hospital, 676 Ringwood Road.
The proposed development would see a 240 sqm extension with 213 sqm of internal floor space added to the rear of the existing ward building.
According to the trust, the scheme will deliver six new patient bedrooms and allow for an internal reconfiguration of Herm Ward.
This will enable the hospital to replace its current dormitory-style accommodation with single-bed spaces, which it says will “improve patient care.”
The plans show the extension will also include a staff rest room and a garden room, as well as enhanced amenity space for patients.
If approved, Herm Ward would provide 23 single bedrooms, replacing the current 26 bedspaces which are spread across shared double rooms.
The trust said the extension has been designed using the same materials as the existing building, to ensure it blends seamlessly with the current hospital estate.
In addition, solar panels are proposed for the south-east-facing pitched roof to provide renewable energy for both the extension and the existing ward, contributing to the hospital’s sustainability targets.
BCP council planning trees team response has said the submitted arboricultural information is out of date and does not reflect the new scheme as per the proposed site plan.
“Up to date arboricultural information in the form of an arboricultural impact assessment, arboricultural method statement and tree protection plan, is required to fully assess the proposal.”
Alderney Hospital has a long history, originally serving as an isolation hospital for fever patients in the early 1900s. Over the decades, it has undergone a series of rebuilds and refurbishments.
Today, the hospital provides elderly inpatient care for physical rehabilitation, along with a range of community services including memory assessment, stroke support, and mental health outpatient facilities.
It also houses inpatient dementia care across two wards: St Brelades, for male patients, and Herm Ward, which caters exclusively for elderly female patients.
The application for the Herm Ward extension was formally received on August 7. Public consultation on the proposals is now open and will run until August 28.