Plans for a new £15.4 m hospice in Southend have been unanimously approved by Southend Council.
An increase in patient demand, and an ageing hospice building, have required Havens Hospices to review how it provides its care. The new Fair Havens Hospice, designed by LSI Architects, will comprise a 16-bed inpatient unit, a day hospice, family support, wellbeing, and charity administrative spaces. It will boost bed capacity and enhance services to meet the increase in patient numbers requiring palliative care in the Southend area.
Andy Smith, Havens Hospices’ CEO, said: “We are all very pleased that our final plans for a new Fair Havens have been unanimously approved, meaning we can now start building a larger, modern hospice that can care for twice as many patients, offer more treatments, and support more families.”
David Andrews, director at LSI Architects, added: “We’re delighted to have been able to help Havens Hospices realise its vision for a new specialist building. We have been able to draw on our experience from our previous hospice projects to place patient comfort and dignity at the heart of its design, and provide a bright, modern hospice which will be a unique and safe environment for those affected by palliative conditions and their families.”
The hospice has been set in a landscape that prompts a journey through landscape spaces before entering the main reception. The building has a discreet patient ‘drop-off’ and collection area, both to ensure a dignified patient experience, and that visitors can access the main entrance separately from the drop-off area. To help reduce stress for those visiting the inpatient unit, they can journey past a south-facing courtyard space offering glimpses into peaceful garden areas close to the hospice chapel.
The building is domestic in shape, and references the local Southend-on-Sea vernacular. Pitched gable ends, and courtyard gardens, will provide a safe, secure environment for patrons.
Durability of the materials used was a key factor in product selection, as the site is within five kms of the coast line – considered a marine atmosphere – prompting the use of low maintenance, durable materials like brick and cementitious board cladding.
Construction work will begin this Autumn.
