A £9m revamp of a Norwich hospital has cleared a significant potential hurdle, after council bosses said they would withdraw their flooding-related objection to the proposals.
Health bosses have lodged plans which would see the transformation of the Norwich Community Hospital site, off Bowthorpe Road, in the west of the city.
The existing building would be knocked down and replaced with a five-storey hospital, alongside a new care home, care units and worker accommodation.
However, Norfolk County Council, as the local flood authority had lodged a holding objection to the proposal because of concerns over flooding at the site.
Anglia Water had also written to the council raisiing its concerns and saying a drainage strategy was needed to prevent the 'unacceptable risk of flooding downstream'.
However, Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust commissioned further testing and modelling of the site, which seems to have satisfied the officers at County Hall.
The county council has signalled it will remove its objection, so long as certain conditions are attached if the scheme does get approval from Norwich City Council.
Paul Cracknell, deputy chief executive at Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust said: 'We are pleased to note the objection has been removed and we look forward to the decision on our outline planning application at a committee in the near future.
'If approved, the redevelopment of our site will enable us to develop a new health campus that will be fit for purpose, which will include a modern and purpose-built community hospital, as well as a number of associated new health and care facilities.'
As previously reported, if permission is granted, then Norfolk County Council's historic environment service wants to see a programme of archaeological mitigation, including digging of trial trenches.
Norwich City Council's planning committee will make a decision in due course.
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