Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Surrey and Boarders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust have completed the sale of surplus land at St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey.
The land, which was not fully utilised and housed outdated buildings, was owned jointly by Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals and Surrey and Borders Partnership. After two years of detailed work by the Trusts’ teams including an extensive consultation with the local community, Runnymede Borough Council passed the resolution to approve the planning application in November last year, enabling the land to go out to bids and agree a sale.
A sale agreement has now been reached with homebuilder CALA Homes, who plan to create a high quality development of 212 one to five bedroom homes and 166 retirement apartments. There will also be 147 new affordable and keyworker apartments, which will make an important contribution to solving the borough’s housing shortage.
CALA will now consult closely with the local community as it prepares to submit a planning application over the summer. Demolition work is likely to start in the autumn with construction work on the new homes commencing next year.
Suzanne Rankin, Chief Executive at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals, said: “We are absolutely delighted that this land sale has been completed and the money raised opens up some very exciting opportunities to improve services and facilities at the hospitals for patients and colleagues.”
“Our transformational plans include new 21st century urgent and emergency care facilities including a new Urgent Treatment Centre, integrated assessment areas and ward space. Also, a new multi-storey car park, redeveloped main hospital entrance that provides better amenities for patients and visitors and ‘Team ASPH’ Wellbeing Centre for colleagues. We will be sharing much more detail of the transformation that is going to take place shortly as the sale of this land is just one, very important, part of the picture. Suffice to say, the future is very exciting and positive change for patients and the team is imminent! We are determined to work with colleagues, partners and local citizens to ensure that the benefit of this sale is fully realised as the once in a generation community benefit opportunity it is.”
Justin Wilson, Chief Medical Officer at Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The sale of this land will allow us to much enhance the quality of our inpatient care for adults, including older people, with mental health problems. We will build en-suite facilities for all and remove all dormitories at the Abraham Cowley Unit at St Peter’s, whilst increasing bed numbers on the site and improving the environment for staff and visitors. We also plan, through a coordinated programme of improvements, to work more collaboratively with Ashford & St Peter’s Hospitals to achieve more joined up physical and mental health care.”
