School leaders challenge proposed site for new Frimley Park Hospital

Plans for a new Frimley Park Hospital costing up to £2 billion are facing opposition from local school leaders, who fear the preferred location could increase traffic and place children at greater risk.

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust wants to relocate the hospital to a 55-acre site owned by the Frimley Fuel Allotments charity, incorporating Pine Ridge Golf Club and surrounding woodland. The replacement is needed because parts of the existing hospital contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, known as RAAC. Government estimates place the project’s cost between £1.5 billion and £2 billion.

School leaders support replacing the hospital but oppose the proposed location. They say nearby roads are already heavily congested during school drop-off and collection times and have questioned whether they could safely accommodate hospital traffic, buses, deliveries and construction vehicles. Their statement also raises concerns about pedestrian routes, pollution, parking in residential streets and disruption to surrounding schools.

The trust has acknowledged that existing road-safety problems are real but stressed that the site has not received final approval. It said the location was selected after examining 18 alternatives and that an independent consultant will now carry out detailed traffic and transport assessments, working directly with headteachers.

Both the outline and full business cases will require government approval, while planning permission must also be secured before construction can begin. The current timetable anticipates work starting between 2028 and 2029, with the new hospital opening in 2032 or 2033.

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