Chelsea residents say cancer hospital expansion will harm house prices

Residents of one of London’s most expensive boroughs have reacted to plans to expand the cancer hospital where the Princess of Wales was treated, saying it would damage property prices.

Neighbors living near the Royal Marsden Hospital in Chelsea say the proposed redevelopment will cause “irreparable damage” to the area due to “construction dust” and noise, as well as homes losing sunlight and privacy.

The planning application submitted by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea proposes adding a seven-storey extension to the 19th-century hospital to increase capacity by 50 per cent and modernize its aging infrastructure.

But in an anonymously written leaflet pinned to local residents’ doors, objectors say they will experience a loss of light and an “overwhelming feeling of siege” as a result of the plan and are urging neighbors to lodge formal objections.

The leaflet, titled “TARGET NOW”, claims the proposals would cause “five years” of disruption due to noise, dust, increased air pollution and traffic disruption to the area around Sydney Street and Fulham Road.

The Royal Marsden Hospital is a world-leading cancer treatment centre. Opened in 1851, the hospital, known as the first hospital dedicated to cancer in the world, pioneered advances in radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgical techniques.

Princess Kate recently had cancer treatment in hospital and is a joint royal patron of the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.

But the center has faced challenges due to its outdated infrastructure, which NHS bosses say is in urgent need of modernisation. Royal Marsden said the proposed expansion would increase capacity by up to 50 per cent and help more people access specialist treatment.

Neighborhood residents also conveyed their official objections to the works online. Nearby II. In a letter submitted by the owner of a grade-listed townhouse, the resident complains that the plans will “inevitably reduce the value of my home” and make it “significantly less attractive, or even uninhabitable, as a residential property”.

Another suggested “property values ​​will be greatly affected by this project during and after the proposed redevelopment,” while a third wrote: “This sounds awful, five years of construction, noise and air pollution in an area I moved specifically for its quietness is one of the major attractions of this area.”

But campaigners opposing the development said the expansion was “not the type of project London can afford to delay”.

Kane Emerson, head of housing research at the YIMBY alliance, said: “If Britain is to build the homes, infrastructure and public services we need, we need to find ways to build with local support.

“It is important for patients across London that the Royal Marsden is able to expand and deliver the new operating theatres, inpatient beds and diagnostic facilities they need. This is not the type of project London can afford to delay.”

Looking for Growth’s CEO and co-founder Dr. Lawrence Newport added that the hospital’s expansion must be approved to “re-prioritise the British public”.

“Patients deserve cancer treatment,” he said. “For decades, progress has been halted and people’s lives across the country have been sacrificed. “We must ignore the consultants, lawyers and lobbyists who are blocking the development of infrastructure such as hospitals and put the British people first again.”

Some citizens also supported the expansion of the hospital. In a letter, one resident said they were “extremely pleased” with the proposals and said they were “desperately needed” for the area.

Another wrote: “I wouldn’t be where I am today without the Royal Marsden. Supporting this development means supporting more people like me, giving them access to the best care, the latest treatments and most importantly more time.”

The trust has been in contact with residents, patients, staff, councilors and community groups for a number of years and said it had made some significant changes to the proposals after receiving feedback.

The Royal Marsden has been contacted for comment.