Surrey Heath MP presses Frimley Health over hospital site concerns as Trust response remains pending

Surrey Heath MP Dr Al Pinkerton has written to Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust chief executive Lance McCarthy seeking urgent clarification over the Trust’s decision to identify Frimley Fuel Allotments as the preferred location for the new Frimley Park Hospital.

In a letter dated 18 June 2026, Dr Pinkerton said the proposed relocation was “one of the most consequential planning and infrastructure decisions our area has faced in generations” and warned that residents must be given a genuine opportunity to scrutinise the evidence behind the Trust’s decision.

At the time of writing, a response from Mr McCarthy is still pending.

The letter follows the announcement on the 16th June 2026 that Frimley Health had selected land currently forming part of Frimley Fuel Allotments as its preferred site for the replacement hospital. The proposal has already caused significant concern among residents, particularly over transport, infrastructure, environmental impact, public transparency and the wider cost of developing the site.

Dr Pinkerton said he had previously raised “significant concerns” about the location, including the pressure it could place on local roads, the environmental consequences of building on green space, and the need for the public to understand how the site was selected.

A central concern in the letter is whether the forthcoming public engagement programme will be broad enough to allow meaningful participation. Dr Pinkerton urged the Trust to expand the number of public engagement events, especially for residents in Heatherside and neighbouring communities who are likely to be among those most directly affected.

He noted that several scheduled events were already at capacity and said it was important that “no resident is excluded from participating due to limited availability”.

The MP also challenged the Trust on traffic and transport modelling, asking whether surveys would be carried out during realistic operating conditions, including term time when nearby schools are open. He called for clarity on the assumptions being made about future vehicle movements to and from the hospital, the likely impact on the M3 Junction 4 corridor, the A325, the A331 and surrounding residential roads.

He also asked what highway improvements would be required as a result of the development, whether those improvements had been costed, and who would be responsible for funding roads, junctions, public transport, walking and cycling infrastructure linked to the new site.

The financial implications of choosing Frimley Fuel Allotments are another major theme in the letter. Dr Pinkerton asked the Trust to explain the full estimated cost of developing the preferred site, including land acquisition, site preparation, infrastructure provision, environmental mitigation and transport improvements.

He also asked how those costs compare with the alternative sites considered, and whether the business case submitted to Government includes all associated infrastructure costs or whether further funding would be needed from other public bodies.

On the environmental impact, Dr Pinkerton said residents had “significant questions” about the loss of green space and the site’s proximity to environmentally sensitive areas. He asked the Trust to confirm what ecological assessments have been carried out, what biodiversity impacts have been identified, what mitigation measures are proposed, and whether all relevant environmental assessments will be published during the engagement period.

The letter also raises direct concerns about the transparency of the site selection process. Dr Pinkerton said public confidence would depend on the Trust publishing as much of the underlying evidence as possible, including the criteria used to assess each location, the weighting applied to those criteria, and the comparative scoring of shortlisted sites.

That point is likely to resonate strongly with campaigners who have repeatedly argued that residents are being asked to engage with a process without being given enough information to properly test the Trust’s conclusions.

Dr Pinkerton wrote that residents must be able not only to express their views, but also to “understand and challenge the evidence on which the Trust’s conclusions have been based”.

The tone of the letter is measured, but its implications are serious. The MP is not simply asking for reassurance. He is asking for the evidence, the assumptions, the costs, the environmental assessments and the comparative site scoring that underpin one of the biggest local decisions Surrey Heath has faced in decades.

For residents opposed to the Frimley Fuel Allotments site, the letter adds political weight to concerns that have been growing since the preferred location was announced. Many campaigners have stressed that they are not against a new hospital, but against the selection of a green and environmentally sensitive site when questions remain over alternative locations, access, infrastructure and transparency.

Until Frimley Health responds, those questions remain unanswered.

Planned events detailed below:

Letter from Al Pinkerton to Frimley Health CEO Lance McCarthy: