Our News

North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust is planning to temporarily lease an area of land at Views Common from Huntingdon Freemen's Trust to support construction of the new Hinchingbrooke Hospital. 

The agreement will enable Kier, the contractor appointed to deliver the new hospital, to use the land for construction compound facilities, materials storage, temporary groundworks storage, construction logistics and contractor parking, helping to ensure the project can be delivered safely and efficiently while hospital services continue to operate, whilst minimising disruption to local residents.

Safe pedestrian and cycle routes across Views Common will remain open throughout construction. The route is regularly used by local residents, school pupils, hospital visitors and people accessing Hinchingbrooke Country Park, and maintaining access has been a key consideration in developing the plans. 

Deborah Lee, Senior Responsible Officer for the Hinchingbrooke Hospital Redevelopment Programme, said: "The new Hinchingbrooke Hospital is a once-in-a-generation investment for our communities not only in healthcare but the wider economic opportunities it will bring to the town, and we are extremely grateful to the Freemen's Trust for recognising the wider public benefit and agreeing to this temporary change of use."

David Hollywood, Operations Director, Kier Construction, said: "We are grateful to Huntingdon Freemen's Trust for working with us on this temporary arrangement. Importantly, public access through Views Common will be maintained throughout the lease period, and we remain committed to engaging openly with local residents, schools and stakeholders as the project progresses."

Karen Bean, Chief Executive for the Huntingdon Freemen's Trust, said: “We are pleased to support the delivery of the new Hinchingbrooke Hospital by making a temporary area of Views Common available for construction purposes. We recognise the importance of this investment in local healthcare and have worked to ensure that the arrangement supports the project while maintaining public access and protecting the long-term interests of the community.”

Ownership of the land will remain with Huntingdon Freemen's Trust at all times. The arrangement is a temporary lease linked solely to the construction of the new hospital and does not involve any permanent transfer of ownership. 

Once construction is complete, the contractor will vacate the site and the land will be restored to grazing land before being returned to Huntingdon Freemen's Trust in accordance with the lease agreement. 

The new Hinchingbrooke Hospital will provide modern healthcare facilities designed to meet the needs of current and future generations, delivering improved facilities for patients, better working environments for staff and greater flexibility to meet future healthcare needs. 

The Trust will continue to keep residents and stakeholders informed through community engagement events, public meetings, its website, social media channels, stakeholder updates and New Hospital Programme communications.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

• The proposed lease relates to a section of land at Views Common adjacent to Hinchingbrooke Hospital.
• The land will be used temporarily to support construction of the new Hinchingbrooke Hospital.
• Uses will include construction compound facilities, site offices, welfare facilities, materials and equipment storage, construction logistics activities and temporary contractor parking.
• Safe pedestrian and cycle routes across Views Common will remain open throughout the lease period.
• Ownership of the land will remain with Huntingdon Freemen's Trust at all times.
• Following completion of construction, the land will be restored and returned to Huntingdon Freemen's Trust in accordance with the lease agreement.

Additional information

• Hinchingbrooke Hospital was added to the New Hospital Programme in May 2023 as part of the Government's commitment to replace hospital buildings affected by Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC).
• The redevelopment programme, known as Hinchingbrooke Hospital: The Next Chapter, is dedicated to delivering a new hospital for local communities.
• In July 2026, the New Hospital Programme announced that Kier had been appointed as the construction partner for the new Hinchingbrooke Hospital.
• The Trust remains committed to ongoing engagement with local communities throughout the planning and delivery of the project.