Frequently Asked Questions

I am very impressed by the scope of the project you have outlined. How much is all this going to cost?

We have conducted an estimate of the entire investment and spend required to deliver all of the facilities. This indicates an overall spend in the area of around £1billion. Much of this spend will come from private sector investment in the housing, office facilities, hotel, retail and conference facilities. The Public Sector in effect acts as a tenant for some of those developments, potentially making them very attractive investments to the private sector.

The two biggest issues I face when I drive to Watford Hospital are the traffic and parking at the site. Has the masterplanning team recognised these issues and what measures are you taking in relation to transport, access and parking?

West Watford does suffer from congestion and we recognise that this is a major development. The new West Herts Acute Hospital will serve the needs of people in West Hertfordshire and beyond. It will be critical that people wanting to access the hospital can do so. Improving public transport will therefore be an important element in achieving this.

We believe that the proposed Health Campus makes the already very strong argument in favour of reopening the Croxley Link Line and connecting it to the Tube at Croxley much stronger. This will be supported by improved bus services to and hopefully through the site, as well ensuring that the site is integrated in to the local cycle and footpath networks. 



Additionally, we believe that the new road justified in the Campus Outline Planning Application and approved by the various planning authorities which links Wiggenhall Road and the Campus with Dalton Way, will help ease the localised congestion and most importantly improve access to the hospital for emergency vehicles.

By using modern smart technology, parking can be managed to enable people using the site to park in areas that are close to their destination. Similarly, as demand. 



For the various services is spread both during the day and over the week, there is scope to match demand and availability. One outcome will be to increase the amount and the quality of housing on the Health Campus available for staff, which will help reduce the number of car journeys.

What is a Health Campus?

We see a Health Campus as a place where a hospital, which traditionally has been about curing the sick, can surround itself with places and spaces which can be used to support and promote healthy living and well-being. We are planning for the Campus to provide sufficient leisure, recreation, education, entertainment and employment opportunities to generate a vibrant and sustainable community.

We do not want the Campus to be a bio-science park which would simply attract existing jobs from other locations. We believe the Campus should provide employment opportunities for the people of Watford, and as a side benefit help to reduce commuter traffic.