Source: Bristol Evening Post Date: 3rd November 2011
Exclusive Developer’s Plans for General Hospital
A LANDMARK 16 storey glass-fronted building, which would dominate the skyline of South Bristol, is part of the plans to redevelop the General Hospital, the Evening Post can reveal.
Developer City and Country Group bought the General Hospital in a £6 million deal earlier this year.
Now the Company has revealed that it wants to build an apartment block, overlooking the Victorian Hospital, which will dwarf all the buildings in the area. It has been talking to residents, planners and local organisations about the plans for the site, next to the Harbourside and bordered by Guinea Street.
The Company says the block of flats is needed to pay for the redevelopment of the sprawling hospital site and to fund a financial agreement with the city council.
The developer has said it is still too early to say how much the project will cost but added that it has ‘significant’ funds to invest in the project. City and Country has also revealed it is planning to restore parts of the historic building which were destroyed in the Bristol Blitz.
The restoration would include rebuilding the distinctive roof and top storey of a tower bombed by the Luftwaffe.
The firm will take control of the building next July and hopes to start work on the project straight away.
A number of different options are being considered which include the construction of the new 16 storey tower block.
The developer says that if the City council does not insist on the firm making financial contributions to local projects, under a planning deal known as a section 106 agreement, then the tower block could be reduced in size.
The three different options being considered are a nine-storey building with 70 flats, 12 storeys with 85 flats and 16 storeys with 100 flats.
The new building would be glass fronted and triangular, and would stand next to the main Victorian Hospital building. The main building would be converted into luxury flats and two other smaller apartment blocks are also being planned.
The developer wants to strip away later additions and extensions to the listed hospital building, to reveal the full splendour of its Victorian architecture.
City & Country is also planning to create an arcade of shops, boutiques and cafes on the waterfront side of the building. In total around 200 new apartments will be created.
The Company’s Residential Managing Director, Helen Moore, is leading the project. She said: “we are still in the very early days and the plans are still at an early stage. We are talking to as many people as possible before we put the final plans together but we are starting to put together the beginnings of a plan.”
City & Country specialises in taking largely neglected historic properties and turning them into luxury developments. Most of its schemes are based in the South East and this is the first time the company has ventured into the West Country.
Ms Moore said: “over the years a lot of horrible additions have been made to the building. We are aiming to strip those away and once again open up the stunning architecture.” “This is going to be a key development for the south of Bristol and we want to make it a destination people want to come to. The aim is to open up the area and make it a place where people can come and enjoy themselves in a wonderful setting.”
The company aims to have all the details and planning permission in place when the building is handed over by the University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, so construction work can start as soon as possible. The work itself is expected to take around three years to complete.The hospital trust is moving most of the functions of the General Hospital to the new £45 million South Bristol Community Hospital in Hengrove Park.
The £6 million deal to buy the General Hospital was completed after months of negotiations, which saw two other interested developers pull out due to the cost.
A series of public meetings is being held at the hospital to give people a chance to see the plans for the site.