Agenda item

This Council is dismayed that the Chancellor of the Exchequer did not commit in her recent Autumn Statement to funding approvals for the long planned new hospital buildings on the Leeds General Infirmary site, as requested via letter by all political groups on Leeds City Council.

 

Council is concerned that further delay to getting spades in the ground on this project will lead to higher construction costs for the taxpayer, a drag on economic growth in the city, and worsened health outcomes for our citizens.

 

Council calls on the Government to recognise the significant investment already made to demolish and clear the city centre site for construction, and to confirm the inclusion of this project as one of those ‘in build’ schemes that qualify for ‘swift’ delivery through the New Hospital Programme, and for the funding to be committed by the end of this year.

It was moved by Councillor Lay, seconded by Councillor Golton that this Council is dismayed that the Chancellor of the Exchequer did not commit in her recent Autumn Statement to funding approvals for the long planned new hospital buildings on the Leeds General Infirmary site, as requested via letter by all political groups on Leeds City Council.

 

Council is concerned that further delay to getting spades in the ground on this project will lead to higher construction costs for the taxpayer, a drag on economic growth in the city, and worsened health outcomes for our citizens.

 

Council calls on the Government to recognise the significant investment already made to demolish and clear the city centre site for construction, and to confirm the inclusion of this project as one of those ‘in build’ schemes that qualify for ‘swift’ delivery through the New Hospital Programme, and for the funding to be committed by the end of this year.

 

An amendment was moved by Councillor C Anderson, seconded by Councillor Flynn

 

Insert the following new paragraph between the second and third paragraphs:

 

“Council further notes that the proposed hospital development unlocks land for the Leeds Innovation Village, delivering more than 4,000 new jobs and £13 billion of economic benefit as a go-to destination for research, healthtech and digital innovation. This will put Leeds at the heart of the £160 million West Yorkshire Healthtech and Digital Tech Investment Zone.”

 

Motion would read:

 

“This Council is dismayed that the Chancellor of the Exchequer did not commit in her recent Autumn Statement to funding approvals for the long planned new hospital buildings on the Leeds General Infirmary site, as requested via letter by all political groups on Leeds City Council.

 

“Council is concerned that further delay to getting spades in the ground on this project will lead to higher construction costs for the taxpayer, a drag on economic growth in the city, and worsened health outcomes for our citizens.

 

“Council further notes that the proposed hospital development unlocks land for the Leeds Innovation Village, delivering more than 4,000 new jobs and £13 billion of economic benefit as a go-to destination for research, healthtech and digital innovation. This will put Leeds at the heart of the £160 million West Yorkshire Healthtech and Digital Tech Investment Zone.

 

“Council calls on the Government to recognise the significant investment already made to demolish and clear the city centre site for construction, and to confirm the inclusion of this project as one of those ‘in build’ schemes that qualify for ‘swift’ delivery through the New Hospital Programme, and for the funding to be committed by the end of this year.”

A second amendment was moved by Councillor Venner, seconded by Councillor Lewis

 

Delete all after “This Council” and replace with:

 

….endorses the letter to the Chancellor of 16^th October 2024 from the leaders of all political groups on the Council and worded as follows:

 

“We are writing as representatives of all political groups in Leeds to express the full support of the city for the business case developed by Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust (LTHT) as part of the Hospitals of the Future programme. This essential and long overdue modernisation of Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) site in Leeds city centre is a catalyst for much wider city and West Yorkshire health and economic plans, promoting growth and helping tackle inequality. We note that the government has announced a Review of the New Hospital Programme and that Leeds is one of the schemes included in this. We have set out below the reasons why we believe further delay would be costly and not in the best interests of our city.

LTHT is one of the largest and busiest acute trusts in the country yet has some of the oldest estate. The rebuilding of LGI was initially announced as a prioritised investment project by the then Government and Prime Minister in 2019. The Trust secured approval of its business case in 2020, enabling it to proceed. However, subsequent delays have led to costs now exceeding £300m. Finite resources are being wasted on operationally sustaining an ageing estate with increased risk to the continued delivery of specialist clinical services which serve Leeds and the West Yorkshire region. Furthermore, the ambition to transform healthcare services and, in addition, establish a leading health and med-tech innovation village in the heart of Leeds City Centre have stalled for more than four years.

 

Perhaps most importantly, the impact on Leeds residents is significant with outmoded capacity impacting on many of our clinical pathways and contributing to delays and long waits for services. Some of the buildings date back more than 150 years and the Trust is faced with ageing infrastructure, leaking roofs, damp, and crumbling walls and ceilings which are inadequate for patient care.  To increase specialist capacity, enable operational and long-term sustainable efficiencies, sustain clinical services such as maternity, and provide much-needed improvements for patients and staff, a new modern hospital is needed. Without this, it is impossible to develop healthcare facilities reflective of the 21^st Century, deliver against the net zero carbon agenda, and achieve Leeds’s ambitious plans to tackle inequality and promote citizen health.

 

Our strategic plans in Leeds closely align with the need to transform health and care over a ten-year period. These plans outline how transition to new buildings and equipment will speed up assessment, treatment and discharge and promote better integration and partnership working with social care, public health and community services, enabling more effective targeting of resources into the communities that need extra support.

 

The Trust’s estimated £1.45bn health Investment plans are also a catalyst for regeneration for the city and beyond, unlocking land and estate to deliver more than 4,000 new jobs, 500-1000 new homes, and £13bn of economic benefit as the centre piece for the West Yorkshire Investment Zone. The LGI site also sits at the heart of the Leeds Innovation Arc, a 130-hectare area of the City Centre. With a location at the junction between the city’s education, civic and commercial centres, it presents a rare opportunity within the heart of a UK major city centre to deliver an innovation hub of scale with the new hospitals as the anchor for health and digital led regeneration.

The key risks of not approving the Leeds hospitals scheme to proceed as already approved are strategic, economic and clinical. These include, but are not limited to:

 

Costs increasing above the £300m estimated delay costs already incurred.

 

Significant investment (estimated at £630m in backlog maintenance alone) being required to continue to operationally maintain ageing estate.

 

A risk to regional clinical service delivery due to the condition of the estate.

 

An increasing risk to the Trust’s ability to maintain specialist clinical service delivery particularly in Maternity and Neonatal services.

 

A failure to meet the growing demand for specialist services and increased waiting times with impacts in primary care and community services.

 

A failure to meet national and local sustainability and net zero targets.

 

Further delays to the delivery of the Trust and city-wide ambition to establish the Innovation Village and deliver a much-needed economic boost to the local and regional economy to increase productivity.

 

In conclusion, there are huge benefits in going ahead with the hospital modernisation programme and no advantages to maintaining the current position. The scheme delivers health and economic benefit and value for money in accordance with HM Treasury calculations, delivering a benefit to cost ratio of 12.09 meaning that for every £1 spent, the plans will deliver more than £12 of benefit.

It is for these reasons that Leeds health and care partners and the whole city stands fully in support of the programme and believe it exemplifies a key development of local, regional and national significance. We are calling for a clear commitment to take the Leeds scheme out of the Review process, for it to be added to the list of projects permitted to go ahead as planned under the New Hospital Programme, and for provision to be made in the Budget on 30 October.

I am aware you have information collated from the business case and from national NHS Colleagues but if you have any further queries or require any further information on the scheme our colleagues at LTHT will be glad to assist.

Likewise if you need any further clarity from the council my office will also provide assistance.

Once again, thanks and best wishes.”

 

The amendment in the name of Councillor C Anderson was declared lost the amendment in the name of Councillor Venner was carried and upon being put to the vote it was

 

RESOLVED – That this Council endorses the letter to the Chancellor of 16^th October 2024 from the leaders of all political groups on the Council and worded as follows:

 

“We are writing as representatives of all political groups in Leeds to express the full support of the city for the business case developed by Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust (LTHT) as part of the Hospitals of the Future programme. This essential and long overdue modernisation of Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) site in Leeds city centre is a catalyst for much wider city and West Yorkshire health and economic plans, promoting growth and helping tackle inequality. We note that the government has announced a Review of the New Hospital Programme and that Leeds is one of the schemes included in this. We have set out below the reasons why we believe further delay would be costly and not in the best interests of our city.

LTHT is one of the largest and busiest acute trusts in the country yet has some of the oldest estate. The rebuilding of LGI was initially announced as a prioritised investment project by the then Government and Prime Minister in 2019. The Trust secured approval of its business case in 2020, enabling it to proceed. However, subsequent delays have led to costs now exceeding £300m. Finite resources are being wasted on operationally sustaining an ageing estate with increased risk to the continued delivery of specialist clinical services which serve Leeds and the West Yorkshire region. Furthermore, the ambition to transform healthcare services and, in addition, establish a leading health and med-tech innovation village in the heart of Leeds City Centre have stalled for more than four years.

 

Perhaps most importantly, the impact on Leeds residents is significant with outmoded capacity impacting on many of our clinical pathways and contributing to delays and long waits for services. Some of the buildings date back more than 150 years and the Trust is faced with ageing infrastructure, leaking roofs, damp, and crumbling walls and ceilings which are inadequate for patient care.  To increase specialist capacity, enable operational and long-term sustainable efficiencies, sustain clinical services such as maternity, and provide much-needed improvements for patients and staff, a new modern hospital is needed. Without this, it is impossible to develop healthcare facilities reflective of the 21^st Century, deliver against the net zero carbon agenda, and achieve Leeds’s ambitious plans to tackle inequality and promote citizen health.

 

Our strategic plans in Leeds closely align with the need to transform health and care over a ten-year period. These plans outline how transition to new buildings and equipment will speed up assessment, treatment and discharge and promote better integration and partnership working with social care, public health and community services, enabling more effective targeting of resources into the communities that need extra support.

 

The Trust’s estimated £1.45bn health Investment plans are also a catalyst for regeneration for the city and beyond, unlocking land and estate to deliver more than 4,000 new jobs, 500-1000 new homes, and £13bn of economic benefit as the centre piece for the West Yorkshire Investment Zone. The LGI site also sits at the heart of the Leeds Innovation Arc, a 130-hectare area of the City Centre. With a location at the junction between the city’s education, civic and commercial centres, it presents a rare opportunity within the heart of a UK major city centre to deliver an innovation hub of scale with the new hospitals as the anchor for health and digital led regeneration.

The key risks of not approving the Leeds hospitals scheme to proceed as already approved are strategic, economic and clinical. These include, but are not limited to:

 

Costs increasing above the £300m estimated delay costs already incurred.

 

Significant investment (estimated at £630m in backlog maintenance alone) being required to continue to operationally maintain ageing estate.

 

A risk to regional clinical service delivery due to the condition of the estate.

 

An increasing risk to the Trust’s ability to maintain specialist clinical service delivery particularly in Maternity and Neonatal services.

 

A failure to meet the growing demand for specialist services and increased waiting times with impacts in primary care and community services.

 

A failure to meet national and local sustainability and net zero targets.

 

Further delays to the delivery of the Trust and city-wide ambition to establish the Innovation Village and deliver a much-needed economic boost to the local and regional economy to increase productivity.

 

In conclusion, there are huge benefits in going ahead with the hospital modernisation programme and no advantages to maintaining the current position. The scheme delivers health and economic benefit and value for money in accordance with HM Treasury calculations, delivering a benefit to cost ratio of 12.09 meaning that for every £1 spent, the plans will deliver more than £12 of benefit.

It is for these reasons that Leeds health and care partners and the whole city stands fully in support of the programme and believe it exemplifies a key development of local, regional and national significance. We are calling for a clear commitment to take the Leeds scheme out of the Review process, for it to be added to the list of projects permitted to go ahead as planned under the New Hospital Programme, and for provision to be made in the Budget on 30 October.

I am aware you have information collated from the business case and from national NHS Colleagues but if you have any further queries or require any further information on the scheme our colleagues at LTHT will be glad to assist.

Likewise if you need any further clarity from the council my office will also provide assistance.

Once again, thanks and best wishes.”

 

On the requisition of Councillors Flint and Coupar the voting on the substantive motion in the name of Councillor Venner was recorded as follows;

 

YES -77

 

Akhtar, A Ali, S Ali, Arif, Bithell, Bowden, Bromley, Carlill, Coupar, Dowson, Dye, Edwards, Farley, Flint, Garvani, Gibson, Grahame, Haigh, Hamilton, Hannan, Harland, Hayden, Heselwood, Hinchcliffe, Holroyd-Case, Z Hussain, Iqbal, Jenkins, Jones, Khan, Leighton, Lennox, Lewis, Lloyd, Maloney, Manaka, Martin, McCluskey, Millar, Parnham, Pryor, Rafique, Renshaw, Ritchie, Rontree, Scopes, Shahzad, Taylor, Thomson, Timmins, Tudor, Venner, Wilson, Wray, M Ali, Blackburn, Carlisle, Cunningham, Goodall, Stables, B Anderson, C Anderson, L Buckley, N Buckley, Cohen, Firth, Flynn, Harrington, Lamb, Robinson, D Seary, S Seary, Stephenson, Field, Chesterfield, Dixon, Pogson-Golden.

 

NO – 0

 

ABSTAIN – 13

 

Kidger, Smith, Brown, Finnigan, Newton, Senior, Dobson, Campbell, Chapman, Downes, Golton, Hart-Brooke, Lay,