A city centre car park could be turned into a new NHS diagnostic hub under fresh plans that would reshape part of a busy Plymouth site and cut dozens of parking spaces in the process.
The proposal includes a four-storey Community Diagnostic Centre, along with parking, landscaping, drainage works and changes to the highway layout and existing car park.
The application relates to land at Colin Campbell Court, where the new building would sit between Colin Campbell House and the first Community Diagnostic Centre, known as CDC1, which has already been approved and is nearing completion. The Design and Access Statement says the second centre would expand diagnostic capacity in Plymouth and support earlier detection of disease.
Planning documents state the building is intended to complement the services already being provided at CDC1. The proposed facility would include an additional MRI scanner, DEXA scanning, ultrasound and cancer pathway consult and exam rooms, alongside staff administration, welfare and support space.
The site is currently used as a car park and contractor welfare area. It is described as being close to the residential population it serves, with access from all sides for vehicles and pedestrians. Bus stops are on Western Approach and Union Street, while Plymouth railway station is around 0.77km away.
The statement says the scheme forms part of wider regeneration plans for Plymouth’s west end, an area described in the document as one of the city’s most deprived neighbourhoods with lower-than-average uptake of healthcare services.
The proposal would also have a major effect on the existing Colin Campbell Court car park. Planning drawings show 156 existing spaces, with 78 to be removed for the development and 78 retained.
Documents also show plans for pedestrian changes around the site, including an extended pedestrian priority walkway, access from Market Avenue and raised-table crossings between CDC1 and CDC2. Accessible parking would be provided on the access road between the two buildings, with staff cycle parking inside the building and Sheffield stands for visitors near the main entrance.
Landscaping plans include raised planters, new paving, seating and planting intended to soften the route into both buildings. The proposed main entrance to CDC2 would be on the south-east corner of the building, opposite Colin Campbell House.
The application follows earlier planning history on the site. A larger four-storey healthcare scheme won permission in 2022 but did not receive government funding, while permission for CDC1 was granted in 2024.
Pre-application discussions have already taken place with Plymouth City Council planning officers. According to the statement, officers supported the principle of the development, though questions were raised about pedestrian and cycle connections, public realm details and the effect on the remaining car park.
