£4.7M contract awarded for major redevelopment of historic hospital site
Richard Evans, local democracy reporter
Senior councillors have approved a contract worth up to £4.7m to a local firm for Phase 1 of the redevelopment of the former North Wales Hospital.
The decision, which was taken by Denbighshire County Council’s cabinet, allows the local authority to proceed with site clearance, asbestos removal, and the demolition of buildings.
The contract was awarded to Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK Ltd.
Cabinet approval was required because the estimated cost exceeds the £2m threshold.
Costing a total of £107m, the redevelopment of the site is expected to take 12 years to complete. The Grade Two listed former psychiatric hospital closured in 1995.
Since then it has steadily fallen into disrepair and ruin as inaction by previous owners and arson attacks and vandalism have made the site ever more dangerous.
Denbighshire County Council bought the site using a compulsory purchase order in 2018, and the eventual development could see 300 new homes built on the land as well as business units.
Phase 1 will be funded through £1.7m from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund, with £3m from the North Wales Growth Deal.
In response to worsening conditions on the site, the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee has already authorised the early release of £2m, with the option of a further £1m.
The North Wales Hospital opened in 1848 to provide care for Welsh-speaking people suffering from mental illness and by the 1950s it housed over 1500 patients and was the major employer in the town but in 1987 it was scheduled for closure and the last patient left in 1995.
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Interesting that there is no mention in this article on Cadw input on demolishing s grade 11 listed building?
Best thing for it as it was the Mental Asylum where innocent women were committed for life. I get the whole thing about it being a listed building. Put a memorial up, least we forget.
But erasing the building erases that history.
Yes, I agree..but its like something out of a horror film. Put up some sort of memorial. Its an amazing building and its architecture but its history is steeped in dispair
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What is going on in this crazy world
Why are they knocking down beautiful well made buildings
And putting crap cheap and horrible building in their place
It’s beyond me
Have u been inside recently..20 years ago it was beyond recovery
Indeed, but the problem with listed buildings is what u can and more importantly cannot do to insulate and maintain as its all about original appearance. No upv, no solar only wood framed windows..so its about 3K each window and thats a standard sash..cost of restoration and on going maintenance and then heating..