Residents living near the new £35 million Berwick Community Hospital have condemned the building as a "monstrosity" that resembles a "giant cigarette bin," as sub-standard construction work forces a major rebuild.
The hospital, built on the site of the old Victorian-era Berwick Infirmary, is being stripped back to its steel skeleton after inspections found much of the work carried out so far must be ripped out and replaced. Neighbours say the development has blighted their historic corner of Berwick and should never have been built there.
Residents describe a 'nightmare'
Tom Young, 78, whose home backs onto the site, said the six-year saga had "destroyed years of my life." He said: "It's a nightmare we're all just living through. You wake up in the morning and it's just there and you can see it wherever you go. Anyone looking through the large windows will see straight into our bedroom. It's horrendous."
Tom, who lives with wife Hilda, 75, is the seventh generation of Youngs to have lived in the fishermen's cottages in Low Green. The narrow streets are inside Berwick's conservation area and yards from the Castle Hotel, where artist LS Lowry frequently stayed when visiting the town.
Retired British Gas worker Tom added: "The hospital should never have been built here. This is a sensitive conservation area of the town. The building completely obliterates the rooftop view of the town and the narrow roads around it are completely unsuitable to cope with the additional traffic. The NHS said it would be a 21st century but it's been built on a 19th century site."
Costs spiral and construction faults revealed
The 10,000 sq m hospital's original £25 million budget has already spiralled by another £10 million. Tom noted the previous Victorian hospital had 130 beds, while the new one will have 20 and 14 consulting rooms. He added: "It doesn't make any sense. The costs have rocketed from £25million to £35million and probably another £15million on top to repair all the faults by stripping it back to its girders. The whole situation is a mess and leaves us all staring up at this monstrosity looming over the garden we have spent years working on."
Another neighbour compared the development to a giant cigarette bin. They said: "It's bad enough they built a hospital which is not fit for purpose on our doorsteps, but it actually looks like a cigarette bin you see mounted outside office blocks. It's very intrusive, patients and staff will have full views of our homes both inside and out. When I moved into this flat I had uninterrupted views across the town and all the way to the Cheviot Hills in the distance. Now my view is an ugly grey building which blocks out the light."
Structural work to be replaced
Mechanical and electrical systems, pipework, internal walls, the external façade and steel frame system will all have to go. Only the main structural steelwork will remain. The problems emerged after original modular construction firm Merit collapsed into administration in late 2025.
New contractor Robertson has since been working with Northumbria Healthcare to establish what needs to be done. The extra bill is currently unknown, with NHS bosses saying the work could affect the trust's wider capital programme and require extra funding from NHS England or the Department for Health.
Trust defends project
Northumbria Healthcare's executive director of estates and facilities Damon Kent defended the project. He said: "We know that everyone is frustrated with the position we are in. We are also very disappointed and want to assure everyone that we are doing everything we can to progress our new hospital as quickly as we can. It has been a difficult period as there are complexities around a new contractor taking over the incomplete work of another company."
Kent added: "Although it has been quiet on site, a huge amount of work has been carried out behind the scenes over the last few months, and we are very pleased to be working with Robertson Construction. Our key priority must always be to ensure that our new Berwick hospital meets all the required standards, and we want it to be the best it can for our patients, staff and future generations. We remain in close contact with residents. I think everybody in Berwick feels the pain of this, it is very difficult."
