Campaign group raises alarm over increased housing planned under controversial Hemel Hempstead hospital project

Dacorum Health Action Group (DHAG) is alarmed with plans that suggest 639 homes could be built if Hemel Hempstead Hospital is demolished.

A clause in Dacorum Borough Council’s latest ‘Local Plan’ shows West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust has earmarked the area for ‘631 new units’.

Dacorum Borough Council has also revealed proposals for 450 homes at the site, but the campaign group is concerned that the latest guidance from the trust indicates that 639 properties will be erected.

A spokesperson for the West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said a decision has not been made on how many homes would be constructed at the site. They did not address specific questioning regarding the 450-home figure and the potential increase to 639 buildings.

This forms part of wider concerns the group has plans to renovate emergency healthcare in the area. Proposals to replace Hemel Hempstead’s existing hospital with a health campus in Market Square, would, according to the group, lead to residents receiving health care at a site that is half the size of the existing hospital.

In proposals that were submitted for consultation by Dacorum Borough Council and the West Hertfordshire Hospitals Trust, it is claimed that the new hub would bring hospital, GP, mental health, social care, wellbeing and community health services into a new purpose-built and accessible health facility.

It is also hoped that by building a new centre it will be easier for residents in Dacorum to get their healthcare services all from the same place.

However, DHAG says the property which is proposed for construction in Market Square, would have no room for expansion and this issue could be exacerbated by the authorisation of a 639-housing project.

Fears that the service will not be capable of meeting demand are linked to the expected increase in Dacorum’s population over the coming years and decades.

A Hemel Garden Communities scheme was recently published by the borough council and St Albans City and District Council, outlining how 11,000 homes could be built in around Hemel Hempstead by 2050.

DHAG chair, Dr Philip Aylett, said: "The housing plans being hatched by Dacorum Council and the local NHS make no sense. In pushing for so many extra flats and houses they are overwhelming key services.

"The rapid growth in the population of over 65s will put a big strain on the planned centre. We must develop the spacious hospital site, not cram everything into a cramped building.”

A spokesperson for the NHS trust defended the scheme arguing that it is a “once in a generation opportunity to provide a new, modern, joined up service for our local communities”.

Across the country local authorities have been ordered to deliver local plans outlining how they can meet housing targets set by the Labour Government. Upon taking control of the Government in 2024, the party said it hoped to deliver 1.5m homes during its electoral cycle, to address a nationwide housing shortage.

Dr Aylett added: "We accept that there is pressure to meet Government housing targets. But it is short-sighted to fail to provide enough health facilities to meet future needs.”

A spokesperson for the campaign group said closing the hospital at a time when the borough’s population is growing would be putting an intolerable strain on diminished NHS services. Other residents have questioned whether Watford General Hospital could cope with the extra demand during the closure of Hemel Hempstead’s main health facility.

It has been argued that the authorities should have prioritised refurbishing the hospital rather than constructing an entire new facility with different qualities.

A spokesperson for the West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust told The Hemel Hempstead Gazette: “Dacorum Borough Council’s draft Local Plan allocates sites, including the Hemel Hospital site, for potential future redevelopment. Future decisions about the number and mix of homes would be determined by the local authority through the planning process.

“The trust continues to work closely with NHS and local partners to ensure that future healthcare provision in Dacorum meets the needs of local residents. Hemel Hempstead hasn’t had any major investment in decades for new health facilities and services, and the health campus represents a once in a generation opportunity to provide a new, modern, joined up service for our local communities.

“The proposed Hemel Health Campus will offer a nationally significant and innovative neighbourhood health model for Dacorum residents with an extended range of services beyond those seen in more limited primary care facilities. The Health Campus will incorporate a portfolio of diagnostic services including MRI and CT scanners, an Endoscopy Suite, integrated primary, community, secondary care and mental health services and an urgent treatment centre.

“We remain committed to ensuring that residents in Dacorum have access to the high‑quality, sustainable healthcare services they deserve both now and in the future.”