Royal Brompton Hospital

The draft Supplementary Planning Document for the Royal Brompton Hospital’s land in Chelsea was made available for consultation from 27 February to 30 April 2014.

In this period, we had a total of 9,489 consultation responses.

A number of these were standardised responses. 1169 were received that read as follows:

I write in response to your consultation on the draft SPD to support the Council’s approach and make the following observations:

1.      I support the Royal Brompton’s proposals to invest in new and existing facilities to bring all the hospital’s services and clinical experts into one integrated building at the Sydney Street site to continue to provide the best care for patients.

2.     I welcome the approach advocated by the draft SPD in relation to Policy CK1 where the Council proposes to assess the Royal Brompton’s plans on an aggregate basis because of the very significant advantages a consolidated hospital campus would bring.

3.     I encourage the Council to adopt the draft SPD guidance on how the Royal Brompton’s land holdings can be developed

85 responses were received from stakeholders within the Institute of Cancer Research who supplied the following comments:

I am writing in response to your consultation on the Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) for the redevelopment of Royal Brompton Hospital’s estate.

I am a member of staff at The Institute of Cancer Research, London – one of the world’s leading cancer research organisations and a key employer within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. We work closely in partnership with The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, and together are rated among the top four centres for cancer research and treatment internationally.

While I am supportive of the Royal Brompton’s desire to invest in new facilities, I feel the SPD has progressed too quickly for all options to be properly considered, and have significant concerns over how the plans will affect The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and our clinical partners, The Royal Marsden.

The current SPD has the potential to severely constrain the ICR’s ability to carry out and expand our world-leading cancer research in Chelsea.

The Royal Brompton’s proposals suggest turning Dudmaston Mews into ‘less of a service road’ by using it as a public space or for mews housing.  But Dudmaston Mews is the principal access route to the ICR’s laboratories on Fulham Rd for deliveries of a wide variety of research materials, engineering services, collection of clinical and other waste, and emergency vehicles. The building receives a significant number of deliveries and collections each day via this route. Any restriction in access to Dudmaston Mews would prevent the ICR from using its Fulham Rd laboratories, and would be damaging to the entire organisation.

I would also like to express concern over proposals for the Royal Brompton’s Fulham Wing to be redeveloped as luxury housing. This would be at odds with the Council’s strategy to protect and enhance the use of land or buildings that have social or community use.

The Chelsea sites of the ICR and The Royal Marsden are severely constrained for space. The sale of the Fulham Wing would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to expand our world-class cancer centre in the Borough. I strongly support The Royal Marsden’s plans to buy the building, to expand facilities in Kensington and Chelsea for cancer care and clinical and translational research, in collaboration with the ICR. This would be of enormous benefit to both organisations, and to cancer patients in the Borough, across the UK and worldwide.

I believe the ICR is an important stakeholder in the redevelopment of the Royal Brompton, and would urge you to extend the timescale on your consideration of its proposals, and to act to ensure that the concerns of my organisation are fully addressed.

A petition containing 7,884 signatures was also received. This read as follows:

The Fulham Road Wing lies between the Chelsea hospital of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and the premises of the Institute of Cancer Research, The Royal Marsden’s academic partner. The Fulham Road Wing is a vital resource that must be retained in social and community use, particularly in light of The Royal Marsden’s clear need and commitment to acquire and use the Fulham Road Wing for hospital purposes. The Council should withdraw the Draft SPD and enter into discussions with The Royal Brompton, The Royal Marsden and the ICR to find a solution to the operational constraints faced by The Royal Brompton and The Royal Marsden that meets the clinical needs of both these specialist hospitals, and the health needs of the residents of Kensington and Chelsea. We ask that:

  • This petition be considered by both the Council’s Public Realm Scrutiny Committee (PRSC) and the Full Council – if necessary at special meetings called for the purpose of considering this petition - before any decision to adopt the Draft SPD either in its current form or amended is taken by the Council;
  • The Council’s PRSC require the Council Cabinet Member for Planning Policy, Transport and Arts and the Council’s Executive Director of Planning and Borough Development to appear before it to respond to this petition;
  • The Council’s PRSC and the Full Council recommend to the Council Cabinet Member for Planning Policy, Transport and Arts that the Draft SPD be withdrawn;
  • The Council’s PRSC and the Full Council take all other steps necessary to ensure the Draft SPD is withdrawn by the Council.

This petition will be treated as a response to the SPD but there will be a debate at Full Council on the 16 July to discuss this matter further.

All other responses can be read via this link.

These responses are being reviewed ahead of a second round of consultation, currently scheduled to begin  in early September 2014. A full schedule of responses to comments will accompany the next iteration of the SPD.


You can view the SPD using the link below:

The supporting documents can be viewed below:

DTZ Summary Viability Review [PDF] (file size 731Kb)

Affordable Retail Assessment [PDF] (file size 76Kb)

Statement of Consultation [PDF] (file size 42Kb)

Policy Impact Assessment [PDF] (file size 51Kb)

Equalities Impact Assessment [PDF] (file size 46Kb)

SA/SEA Scoping Report [PDF] (file size 67Kb)

Sustainability Appraisal [PDF] (file size 429Kb)

SA/SEA Screening and Scoping Responses (file size 358Kb)

Comments on the SPD can be submitted using the Council’s consultation portal or via email: [email protected]

Alternatively send your written comments to:
The Executive Director of Planning and Borough Development
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
The Town Hall, Horton Street
LONDON  W8 7NX

Previous Documents

Prior to the preparation of the draft SPD an exhibition showing the issues and options was held between 25 November 2013 and 9 December 2013 at Chelsea Library. You can view the exhibition boards below:

download the exhibition boards [PDF] (warning: large file size 3.83Mb)

A summary of the consultation can be found below.

Consultation Summary [PDF] (file size 252Kb)

Appendix A1 – Response table [PDF] (file size 137Kb)

Appendix A2 – Letters and emails [PDF] (warning: large file size 2.6Mb)

Appendix A3 – Workshop minutes [PDF] (file size 225Kb)

Appendix B1 – Distribution leaflet and questionnaire [PDF] (warning: large file size 3.7Mb)

Appendix B2 – Exhibition boards [PDF] (warning: large file size 3.83Mb)

Last updated: 29 November 2019