PLANS have been submitted for a new, three-storey pathology lab at The Royal Bournemouth Hospital.

The University Hospitals Dorset Trust, which looks after The Royal Bournemouth and Poole hospitals, has submitted an application for the phased construction of new buildings “to accommodate hospital uses and facilities, new car parking and ancillary uses”.

The application says the new building will house the main laboratory facilities for RBH.

A reserved matters statement said: “The main concept of the building is that it operates on a hub and spoke model, i.e. the hub will be the main pathology laboratory for Dorset with smaller ‘spoke’ laboratories at the other hospitals in the group.

“One of the main considerations in the design is to create an open plan laboratory space that allows sufficient light to enter from the external walls, whilst also allowing for a high ceiling that creates a sense of scale in the laboratory space.”

The statement said the flow of people in the lab will be forced through a gowning lobby and into the open laboratory space and samples will be received at central reception.

“The ground floor consists of an entrance lobby and staircase facing the carpark, with adjoining lift, waiting area, gowning lobby and utility rooms,” it added.

“Past the gowning lobby is an open plan laboratory space that houses the bulk of the laboratory equipment.

“The first floor is accessed via the lift and stairs to another lobby. This gives access to the corridor to allow the visitor to go through the gowning lobby on the eastern side to the histopathology laboratory or the northern and western sides to offices.

“There is a staff room and a seminar rooms on the southern side with staff changing facilities in the centre of the floor plate.

“The second floor contains the roof which has a plant room which is in the north eastern side of the building and an enclosed plant area to the south of the plan We also propose to install solar panels to the roof to improve the energy efficiency of the building.”

The proposed building will occupy the centre of the site with an outbuilding in-between it and the Stour building.

So far, no appeals have been made to the application.