Dysart subsidiary secures hospital consent
Project Genesis has secured detailed planning permission for a new hospital at the Derwent View site in Consett, with the intention of it replacing Shotley Bridge.
Shotley Bridge is a community hospital, managed by the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust. Its replacement was greenlit in January within wave one of Labour’s New Hospitals Programme.
Reserved matters consent has now been confirmed and enacted, with some work taking place to prepare the site. With a consent from 2018 having expired, a refreshed consent was gained in 2023 and has now been confimred. Work starting on site infrastructure means the consent has been enacted.
The permission includes the initial phase of infrastructure construction, notably the new access road from the A692.
While a final agreement with the NHS has yet to be reached, Project Genesis said that it moved decisively to protect the opportunity for a new hospital to serve Consett and North West Durham, ensuring that the organisation’s long-supported vision remains viable despite changes in national health policy.
Mike Clark, director at Project Genesis, said: “Securing planning permission now means that the future of a new hospital in Consett remains very much alive. Had we not taken this step, the town could have lost its best chance at a fit-for-purpose, accessible facility.
“We acted because we believe the people of North West Durham deserve the best healthcare infrastructure possible and we’re committed to working with the local MP and other stakeholders to make that possible. The council’s planning department has been hugely helpful, recognising the potential of this facility to the whole community.”
Originally designated for retail development, the Derwent View site was re-envisioned in 2018 as the most suitable location for a new hospital.
In a consultation, the proposal received 80% backing from the community, and was later given unanimous approval by Durham County Council’s planning committee.
To date, Project Genesis has funded the site’s planning and development costs.
The firm said that the hospital and the wider development of the site is expected to bring more than £100m of additional investment to the town.
Project Genesis is part of the Dysart property group, a business that continues to manage sites following completion. Genesis is mostly focused on the Consett steelworks site.
The group’s main interests also include parent Dysart Developments; Tynexe, a joint venture with Newcastle City Council that owns Armstrong Business Park and operates Newcastle Business Park; and Station Developments, an 80:20 venture with North Tyneside Council focused on Tynemouth station.
