CONTROVERSIAL plans to demolish the town’s former hospital for a new care home have been swiftly refused by Malvern Hills District Council.
Two seperate applications, submitted by Montpelier Estates, planned to knock down the 105-year-old hospital site on Lansdowne Crescent to build a modern 50-bed care home with additional accommodation, landscaping and parking.
However, the project was thrown out by Malvern Hills District Council planning chiefs who said it would ‘fail to preserve or enhance the conservation area and would have an adverse impact upon the historic environment.’
The district council’s chief planning officer Duncan Rudge said in a formal Decision Notice: “The former hospital is a non-designated heritage asset which lies in the Great Malvern conservation area.
“It is considered that its demolition and replacement with a 50 bed care home would fail to preserve or enhance the conservation area and would have an adverse impact upon the historic environment.
“The proposed replacement building by reason of its scale, bulk and massing, together with visually heavy roof design would not represent high quality design and would fail to preserve or enhance the character and appearance of the surrounding conservation area.”
The refusal has been welcomed by leaders of Malven Civic Society who were part of a campaign in November last year to make Malvern’s former hospital a Grade II Listed building which was rejected by the Government.
A petition calling for the building to be preserved had racked up almost 500 signatures. But the campaign setback enabled developers to proceed with a planning application.
Clive Hooper, chairman of the Civic Society, said: “This decision is greatly to be welcomed and it fully supports the strong stand Malvern Civic Society has maintained for the retention of this heritage asset.
“The decision by the Malvern Hills District Council should now leave the opportunity open for imaginative proposals to come forward for the use of this significant building and its preservation as an historic asset.”
Developing firm Montpelier Estates said they would be looking at ways to improve their application.
Company director James McGarry said: “We’ve had two refusals but we will be going forward to the next stage.
“We have had consultations on how our design could be improved and we are looking at those before coming back with another proposal.
“We have listened to people’s opinions and I think we can come back with a proposal which will enhance the local area.”
