Pinderfields Hospital given go-ahead to create wetland next to helipad
A hospital has been granted planning permission to build a wetland area near its helicopter landing site.
Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust has been given the go-ahead to create ponds to boost biodiversity in a field close to the helipad at Pinderfields Hospital.
Pinderfields is a designated major trauma centre and has a helipad close to the emergency department.
Documents submitted to Wakefield Council in August said the scheme would include seven “seasonal pools” with four deeper pools in the middle of the complex.
The application states: “The ponds would be left to naturally fill and colonise with native species of flora and fauna, with no intervention or management required, which will therefore provide the greatest effect with regards to increasing biodiversity on site.”
The 5,812 sq ft (540 sq m) site is located near to North Avenue, outside of the helicopter landing exclusion zone, which must be kept clear for safety reasons.
The scheme includes repairing hedgerows near to the site and adding signage and a floatation device or life vest to ensure safety.
Designs for the ponds range in size, the application states.
The plan also includes constructing perimeter fencing using logs from trees that are felled in the hospital grounds as part of a management programme.
The application received no objections and one letter of support from Wakefield Civic Society who welcomed the proposal and stated that they trusted the advice of the council’s ecologist.
A planning officer’s report said: “The proposal has been assessed against national and local planning policies and guidance and is considered to be acceptable having regards to design, highways safety, residential amenity, land stability, contamination, biodiversity and ecology matters.”