Construction starts on £13m key worker accommodation for Yeovil Hospital

A sod-cutting ceremony has marked the start of construction work on a new £13m staff accommodation complex at Yeovil Hospital.

The ceremony was held on the site of the town’s former Nautilus Works, just off the A30 at Reckleford where the new accommodation complex will be built, and was attended by representatives from Yeovil District Hospital, development partner Prime and constructor Speller Metcalfe.

The development is the latest to be funded and delivered through Yeovil Hospital’s strategic estates partnership with Prime, who have selected building contractor Speller Metcalfe through their place on the PIC Framework.

The complex will be located just 500m from the hospital and will provide a total of 176 bedrooms across a mixture of 66 one, two, four-and-eight-bedroom apartments split over two buildings.

Designed by Worcestershire-based One Creative Environments, the new development will also feature shared living areas and communal gardens providing resident staff and students pleasant spaces in which to relax away from work.

Chris Watkins, contracts manager for Speller Metcalfe, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen to partner with Prime and Yeovil Hospital to deliver this fantastic new accommodation complex and are looking forward to the construction phase starting.

“We will be using our experience of building first-class accommodation to deliver the modern, comfortable and high-quality facilities the NHS workers and medical students deserve for the tremendous job they do for their community.”

Leighton Chumbley, Chief Executive at Prime, said: “The key worker accommodation complex is a much-needed scheme, which will not only improve the lives of the hardworking and dedicated NHS staff and students who work at the hospital, but it will also breathe new life into a town centre site which has been derelict for a number of years.

“The turf cutting ceremony celebrates our progress onto the next phase in the scheme, turning plans into real transformation for the town and the hospital workers who support it.”

Jonathan Higman, Chief Executive of Yeovil Hospital, said: “The accommodation being built will provide frontline staff with modern, high-quality accommodation, just yards from the hospital site.

“It’s an investment into our future and one which will help us recruit and retain employees whilst adding to the vibrancy of the wider community.”

The project is expected to be completed by late summer 2020.