Responding to today’s decision by the South Downs National Park Authority’s Planning Committee to approve City & Country Group’s plans to restore the historic King Edward VII Hospital Estate, Helen Moore, Residential Managing Director,said:
“We are delighted that the South Down National Park Authority have finally decided to approve our plans to preserve and restore this nationally significant collection of Grade II* and II heritage assets. Our proposals have received the support of English Heritage,Natural England and Chichester District Council – now,with the support of the SDNPA – we can insure that this much-cherished local landmark is saved and can begin to breathe new life into its historic buildings and gardens.
“We have spent many hours working in partnership with the SDNPA, English Heritage and the local community to respond constructively to the feedback we received on our previous applications. Today’s decision is a clear endorsement of our revised proposals,which represent a sensitive and balanced solution for the Estate that will secure its future in the long-term.
“We would like to thank the considerable number of people from the local community who have supported our vision to restore the Hospital,which English Heritage has described as being ‘incomparably the most exciting era of architecture to mark Sussex profoundly,’ and ‘has a good claim to be seen as one of the pivotal sites of its time and place.’ Our proposals will enable future generations to enjoy the Hospital and its historic collection of buildings and gardens.
“Our plans will secure £800,000 in affordable housing contribution and a further £100,000 in infrastructure provision. Sitting alongside the £5m in extra funding that would be generated by the proposals for Chichester District Council and West Sussex county Council under the government’s New Homes Bonus scheme,these proposals would make a significant contribution towards improving local infrastructure.
“We will now begin the important work of repairing and restoring the Estate’s historic buildings,including the main Sanatorium building and the Chapel.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
City & Country’s revised proposals,approved today by the South Downs National Park’s Planning Committee,include a number of amendments designed to add further comfort to the SNDPA over the deliverability of the scheme,the timings for securing the restoration of the listed buildings on site,and the contributions made by City & Country towards local infrastructure.
Re-location of affordable housing
As suggested by English Heritage,the assisted care apartments initially proposed for the main Sanatorium building have been reduced in number to 79 units and re-located to the new East Courtyard building and adjacent houses on Superintendents Drive. This re-location will enable City & Country to provide 148 open market apartments in the main Sanatorium building,which will have a higher market value and will therefore reducer the Conservation Deficit of the proposals further.
Financial contributions
The relocation of the uses increases the values of the units within the sanatorium and reduces the overall project programme due to the more marketable mix of uses,so reducing the financial deficit. The reduced deficit allows the inclusion of £800,000 affordable Housing Contribution and £100,000 infrastructure provision within the S106 agreement.
Construction programme
City & Country has spent a considerable amount of time working in partnership with the SDNPA and English Heritage on the sequencing and timing of the project programme to deliver the most historically sensitive areas first,and to bring forward the repairs and restoration works earlier in both time and also in sequence ahead of the new buildings.
The adjustments to the programme bring about the following benefits and ensure an earlier securing of the future of these buildings:
- Before any new homes begin construction all of the modern extensions and unsympathetic buildings will have been demolished leaving the buildings in a more secure position. They will be more secure against fire damage as they will no longer be joined to vast hospital buildings that could spread from one building to another,and for the same reason offer less opportunities for undetected break ins.
- Before any new homes begin construction the exterior of the Chapel,and the exterior of the core area of the sanatorium will be completed. These represent all the most precious historic assets on the site.
- The new homes can only be sold as and when conversion areas are completed,ensuring the conversion elements are always significantly in advance of the new buildings,but also allowing the new buildings to fund the expensive conversion elements and so avoiding excessive financial costs that would have added further to the deficit.
- The west apartment homes cannot begin construction until all the historic areas of the sanatorium are completed. This ensures the new building,that English Heritage believes is only acceptable if the historic assets are first secured,is built last.
The programming and phasing of this work is included in significantly greater detail within the S106 agreement now agreed with SDNPA.
Engine House and cottages
In response to comments raised by the local community on the previous application determined by the SDNPA,City & Country have reduced the number of homes proposed in the area of the old Engine House by six units. Combined with sensitive screening achieved through new planting and making best use of the existing woodland,this will further minimise any impact on Hurst Park residents and ensure that their views of the historic buildings on the Estate will be preserved.