RESIDENTS opposed to plans for a private hospital at a proposed ‘Innovation Quarter’ say the scheme will harm the environment, public wellbeing and biodiversity.

More than 3,600 people signed a petition against the scheme for a new Nuffield Health hospital at Highmoor Farm in Talbot Village.

The site is the last of six farms set up by the Talbot sisters in the 19th century to support the community.

It is now the last area of green space to border the Talbot Heath nature reserve, which is site of special scientific interest.

Nuffield Health wants to move from its site in Lansdowne Road to the land, which sits between the university campuses and the heath.

Landowner Talbot Village Trust has been consulting on a masterplan for the area, while hospital bosses are working on a detailed proposal for their proposed move.

Members of the Preserve Talbot Heath Facebook group, which has more than 1,700 members, are opposed to the scheme.

A spokesperson for the group said: “In their latest public consultations, Talbot Village Trust and their client Nuffield Health have once again failed to explain even in layman terms how up to 1,770 Innovation Quarter daily commuters will not lead to net losses in biodiversity and damage the environment through more traffic congestion.

“Talbot Village Trust have no demonstrable net gains in biodiversity track record for either Talbot Heath or on former farmland that they have rented out for the relentless expansion of the universities."

No full planning application has been tabled for the hospital at this stage.

A screening opinion request was made to the council in relation to whether an environmental impact assessment (EIA) would be needed for the proposal.

After consulting various organisation’s BCP Council’s planning department has determined that the EIA assessment would not be required.

A screening opinion statement said: “In conclusion and based on the advice given by the statutory consultees, it is considered that the proposed development does not require the benefit of an Environmental Impact Assessment under the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017.”

As reported, earlier this year BCP Council’s planning committee rejected an application from Talbot Village Trust to change the use of the private farmland at Highmoor Farm into a heathland support area.

The trust wanted to convert 30 acres of the site into a publicly-accessible park but councillors who opposed the scheme said it would create harm as it would intensify public use of the area.