Frenchs Forest: Successful bid for 80-bed private hospital to tackle mental health on northern beaches
Planning bureaucrats have decided the fate of a private mental health hospital on the northern beaches, amid rising rates of illness. Here is what it means for neighbours.
Manly
Don't miss out on the headlines from Manly. Followed categories will be added to My News.
An 80-bed private mental health hospital that will meet a growing demand for treatment of young people, has been giving the go-ahead on the northern beaches.
Work on the eight-storey, $54 million Northern Beaches Mental Health Hub, is expected to begin at Frenchs Forest in mid-2024.
NSW Planning approved the State Significant Development Application for the facility, to be built on a former business park site in Tilley Ln, late last week.
Mental health groups had been backing the hospital, to be leased out to private operators, which its developer says will meet “high level local unmet demands”.
As well as inpatient rooms and amenities, it will offer outpatient and clinical therapy
services and consulting rooms.
Electroconvulsive therapy treatment and recovery spaces as well as meeting
and group rooms will be available. There will be an ambulance bay and parking for 73 cars.
The plans also include private patient rooms with ensuite, as well as a rooftop garden; ground floor cafe; gym; a “healing garden" and “reflective sitting nooks”.
In its pitch to planning authorities, the developer, CK Group, said the hub would slow local rates of suicide and self-harm, especially among young people.
CK Group managing director, Walt Coulston said its focus was on “establishing a much-needed mental health facility specifically for juveniles”.
“We can now get on with the job of making a material benefit to peoples lives, who are in their time of need,” Mr Coulston said on Monday.
A “scoping” report included in the application stated that the facility “would have a positive effect on the health and wellbeing of the broader North Shore community”.
It also pointed out that there was a shortfall of 145 mental health beds in its catchment area.
When it opens, it is expected to employ about 120 staff.
Mr Coulston confirmed on that he had been negotiating with groups about leasing space in the hospital. It is less than 10 minutes walk to the Northern Beaches Hospital, which has mental health services providing day services and a total of 61 beds in four specialised wards.
The facility received support from youth preventive mental health support group, batyr.
Its CEO Nic Brown said social isolation and distress were reaching higher rates “than ever”.
“Right now, demand for acute mental health services is at a high, ” Mr Brown said.
“It’s important that additional resources are invested in a timely manner to address this and prevent any future risks in our community”.
If this article raises any issues, support is available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.
Concussions, crashes! Risky business in chase for 100km/h in SailGP Sydney
There were crashes, concussions and carnage at the last event but Aussie SailGP skipper Tom Slingsby is tipping a wild speed chase and an old rivalry reigniting on his home waters this weekend.
Thanks Kylie! How old soaps playing role in Aussie SailGP success
Soaps Neighbours and Home and Away - and a British Olympian who watched them - are strangely playing a part in the resurgence of the Aussie crew in the SailGP series hitting Sydney at speed.