£1.3BN LEIGHTON HOSPITAL REDEVELOPMENT SECURES PLANNING APPROVAL

Plans for the £1.3bn redevelopment of Leighton Hospital in Crewe have secured planning permission, marking a major milestone for one of the first schemes to progress through the Government’s New Hospital Programme.

The hybrid planning application submitted by Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will see the existing hospital largely replaced with a new 1.2 million sq ft healthcare campus to the north of the current estate.

The redevelopment has been accelerated following the discovery of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) across approximately 80% of the existing hospital buildings.

Project Overview

📍 Crewe, Cheshire

👤 Client: Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

💰 Project Value: £1.3bn

🏥 Development: Leighton Hospital Redevelopment

📐 1.2 Million sq ft

📅 Construction Expected: 2027–2032

🏢 Sector: Healthcare

Development Details

The scheme will deliver:

• Six-storey main hospital building

• Ambulatory cancer care centre

• Central sterile services department

• Energy centre

• Plant buildings

• 1,000-space multi-storey car park

• New emergency access and servicing infrastructure

• Extensive landscaping and public realm

Four existing buildings will also be retained and repurposed, while much of the remaining hospital estate will be demolished in phases.

The project will adopt the NHS’s standardised Hospital 2.0 model, designed to improve efficiency and reduce delivery costs across future healthcare developments.

Project Team

The delivery team includes:

• IHP (Sir Robert McAlpine & VINCI Construction joint venture)

• WSP

• Ryder Architecture

• Gleeds

• WT Partnership

• Mott MacDonald

• Greengage

• PwC

ConstructNet Supply Chain Analysis

With planning now secured, the project moves into detailed design and business case approvals ahead of procurement for major construction packages.

Potential opportunities are expected across:

• Groundworks and enabling works

• Structural steel and concrete frame

• Building envelope and roofing

• Mechanical and electrical services

• Healthcare fit-out

• Medical gas installations

• Internal finishes

• Landscaping and external works

• Highways and infrastructure

• Demolition and asbestos removal

• Building materials and specialist suppliers

Given the scale of the programme, procurement activity is expected to continue over several years as the project progresses towards its anticipated 2027 construction start.

ConstructNet Intelligence

As one of the flagship projects within the Government’s New Hospital Programme, the Leighton Hospital redevelopment represents a significant pipeline of opportunities for the healthcare construction sector.

The adoption of the Hospital 2.0 model is expected to influence the delivery of future NHS hospitals, with greater emphasis on standardisation, modern methods of construction and repeatable design principles.

With works extending into the early 2030s, the project is expected to generate substantial opportunities for contractors, specialist subcontractors and suppliers throughout the delivery programme.