Oxford hospitals' pipeline plans cause residents concern

The John Radcliffe Hospital is set to benefit from a £14.8m project to upgrade its heating and hot water systems

Residents are asking for more information about a plan to build a pipeline between two Oxford hospitals.

The Hospital Energy Project is an 18-month, £14.8m project to upgrade the heating and hot water systems at the John Radcliffe and Churchill hospitals.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said the work was "critical" to meet future demands.

But residents are worried the work will cause traffic disruptions and say the trust has refused to meet with them.

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Patrick Coulter, from the Highfield Residents' Association, said he supports the project but is concerned about more roadworks in the Headington area.

He added: "We don't know why the secrecy and why they won't talk to us."

'Reduce energy costs'

Oxford city councillor Ruth Wilkinson said people were justifiably worried about when and where the work would be happening.

She said: "People quite reasonably want to know things like 'Will it be noisy?', 'What time of the day will work start and stop?', 'Where can I park my car while work is going on outside my house?'"

A spokeswoman for the trust said information would be made available on its website on Monday 30 November.

She added: "The new energy systems will offer both hospitals better resilience and less reliance on the national power grid in the high demand months of winter, reduce energy costs as well as reduce carbon emissions from both sites."

Work at the hospitals has already started but is due to move onto public land in the coming weeks, she said.