PLANS for the latest construction on Southmead Hospital's science quarter have been submitted to the council.

North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) is looking to expand the learning and research building on the hospital site.

Designs sent to Bristol City Council as part of a planning application show that the trust is looking to extend the building which backs on to Monks Park Avenue.

The building and the new pathology building next to it was completed in 2009 as part of a £45-million project in an area the trust is calling its science quarter.

The extension will provide offices, research laboratories and an expansion to the hospital library.

There will be four levels along with the same coloured panels that are featured in the current buildings. It will be approximately 3,000m2.

As previously reported in the Evening Post, the aim is for the new extension to open in 2014 – the same year as the new hospital.

Among the work that is due to be carried out in the new building is Professor Neil Scolding's pioneering research into stem cell therapies to repair the damage caused by multiple sclerosis.

The trust is also considering additional pathology buildings, for the study of samples to help in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases as proposals are currently being considered for services across the city to be based at Southmead.

Once the final decision has been made for the centralisation of Bristol pathology, NBT will be able to finalise plans for the new buildings and submit planning applications.

Tricia Down, deputy director of projects, said: "NBT and its partner universities share the long-term vision to develop integrated teaching and research resources to facilitate collaboration, multi-disciplinary learning and the translation of research outcomes into clinical practice.

"This vision was translated into the establishment of an integrated academic centre on the Southmead Hospital site in 2009, known as the Learning and Research building.

"The trust and University of Bristol are now embarking on the second phase of this programme of works.

"This involves extending the existing learning and research building so that it can accommodate more laboratory and office-based research activities together with further learning and education facilities."