Plans for a new Accident and Emergency department at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary have been approved.

And health chiefs say the “design life” of the state-of-the-art building means it will last for 60 years.

There was unanimous support for the A&E proposals from Kirklees Council’s seven-member Strategic Planning Committee.

The purpose-built 24/7 facility is earmarked for land currently occupied by a car park and staff accommodation at the HRI.

The existing nursing block on South Drive is to be demolished and replaced with a new single-storey clinical building.

It will house “majors and minors” treatment areas, including dedicated paediatric facilities – comprising 19 treatment bays in total – together with four resuscitation bays and two x-ray rooms.

The plans involve the loss of 96 existing staff car park spaces. Some trees on the boundary between the hospital site and nearby homes will also be cut down.

Health chiefs have previously said that work could get underway by December this year – with an opening date of 2023.

During the committee meeting (Sept 23) assurances were sought over car parking due to the loss of some spaces as part of the new build, and noise from the new facility.

However planning officers said there was existing over capacity on site and that they were satisfied that planned parking spaces would be adequate.

They also said an “acoustic barrier” would “physically block” noise from the site so as not to affect nearby homes.

The new A&E will be run by Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT), which operates the HRI.

Anna Basford, Director of Transformation and Partnerships for CHFT, said comments and feedback from the public had informed the final design proposals for the new A&E, as had learning from the coronavirus pandemic.

She said the new facility was needed as the existing 1960s A&E was “reaching near the end of its functional life and is no longer fit for purpose” and that there was “a clear requirement” for a new A&E at the infirmary.