Planning permission has been approved for a new £32m mental health facility on the Belfast City Hospital site.

The new-build facility for the Belfast Trust will include a 74-bed acute mental health unit and a six-bed psychiatric intensive care unit.

Environment Minister Mark H Durkan said: "For the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust this development will create one centre that will rationalise and modernise the facilities in which acute inpatient mental health services are provided.

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"It is welcome that this decision, which helps to provide a much needed health facility, has been turned around quickly."

The facility will replace largely outdated buildings and is the next stage in delivering a new user focused model of care, with inpatient services delivered in modern surroundings.

The redevelopment involves the demolition of existing vacant hospital buildings, construction of a new mental health facility, car parking, re-alignment of access roads and associated operational development.

(CD/JP)