Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust has revealed its preferred site for a brand-new Frimley Park Hospital. It’s a big announcement, and one with particular significance for residents in Ash given how many of us rely on the hospital.
The Trust says its preferred location is part of Pine Ridge Golf Club, off Old Bisley Road. It would look to acquire around 55 acres of the wider 265-acre estate, which is owned by local charity Frimley Fuel Allotments.
Why a new hospital is needed
Around two thirds of the current hospital’s buildings were constructed using RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete), a material that can fail when exposed to moisture and has prompted safety concerns across the NHS estate. The Trust describes the hospital, built in 1974, as “reaching the end of its life.” The rebuild forms part of the government’s New Hospital Programme, with £1.5 billion in funding confirmed in August 2025.
Why this site, and not somewhere else
The Trust says the decision followed an “extensive selection process” looking at 18 potential sites within a five-mile radius of the existing hospital, a boundary chosen to keep the hospital accessible to local patients and staff.
Rebuilding on or next to the current Portsmouth Road site was considered but ruled out. The Trust says this option would have relied on using neighbouring Ministry of Defence land, including a Grade II listed building and a registered park and garden, for around seven years of construction, with a heritage impact considered likely to be unacceptable to planners. Other sites elsewhere in the area were also ruled out, including one near an airport that was found to pose unacceptable risks to airspace and operations. Pine Ridge was ultimately the only site judged to meet all the Trust’s criteria, including size, deliverability within national timescales, and transport access.
What would move, and what would stay
Under the proposals:
- Emergency, inpatient and maternity services would move to the new Pine Ridge site
- Most outpatient, diagnostic and community appointments would remain at the existing Portsmouth Road site, in the parts of the building unaffected by RAAC, to help minimise travel disruption for patients
What happens to the existing hospital site
The current Frimley Park Hospital wouldn’t simply close. Once services have transferred to the new hospital, the Trust plans to demolish the RAAC-affected sections of the existing site. Parts of the Portsmouth Road site that remain safe would continue to be used for outpatient, diagnostic and community services, alongside the Trust’s wider plans for care closer to home.
Reaction: support and concern
The announcement has prompted a mixed response locally. Those opposed have raised concerns including:
- Traffic impact in the immediate vicinity of the proposed site, there are concerns that access would mean navigating single-carriageway roads past several schools, adding to congestion that already affects the wider Frimley area at peak times
- Wider infrastructure capacity concerns
- Environmental impact, with campaign group Save Surrey Countryside objecting strongly to the loss of mature woodland and a long-used public golf course
The Trust’s chief executive, Lance McCarthy, said the project was “about creating a hospital that local people can rely on, not just today, but for generations to come,” pointing to safer buildings and modern facilities. Health Minister Karin Smyth called the announcement “an important milestone.”
The Trust stresses that no final decision has been made and the land has not yet been purchased. It would also need approval from the Department of Health and Social Care before any purchase. An agreement is in place allowing further technical work, including on traffic, transport and environmental impact, to take place in the meantime.
What happens next
The Trust, working with the Thames Valley Integrated Care Board, is launching a programme to gather views from patients, staff and residents, including those living near the proposed site, to help shape the plans. A formal consultation will form part of any future planning application, which the Trust is targeting for submission by the end of next year, with construction expected to start in 2028 or 2029.