322 new homes approved at St Ebbas

The long-awaited Planning Application for redevelopment of St Ebbas was now been approved. A total of 322 houses and flats are to be built, or created by refurbishing listed hospital buildings, with a green area in the middle and the water tower turned into a Combined Heat and Power plant.

Part of the old hospital is being retained as a secure NHS campus around the cricket field; Sands House will also be retained, within the new housing area, though its residents will be moved out whilst building work is in progress.

Special activity areas for children and young people are included. The planners claim to have learnt from the mistakes made on the other former hospital sites.

The plans include a link to Longmead via Harvester Road, open to buses, cyclists and pedestrians only and a footpath link to Chessington Road. The existing footpath bordering Longmead and St Ebbas is to be refurbished as part of the scheme.

Lib Dem councillors David Morgan and Colin Taylor obtained agreement that getting the new roads adopted promptly should be made a condition of the planning approval.

It is intended to combine the corner of Hook Road Arena near Richards Fields into the green open space available to residents. The Lib Dem councillors emphasised the need to provide an informal kick-about area and somewhere for allotments. Ward councillors will discuss the details of landscaping and footpath links.