COUNCILLORS have given the go-ahead to redevelop the King Edward VII Hospital in Midhurst. Agreement was reached to permit the current planning application, provided an accompanying legal agreement is completed. The applicants, Bridebridge Ltd, had sought permission to convert and extend the existing hospital buildings to provide 263 new homes. In addition, a local shop is to be provided at the entrance to the site, together with a small business centre within the sanatorium building and a care home in a more recent former hospital building. The chapel is to be converted into a health facility with a new swimming pool. The historic gardens are to be restored, along with the cricket pitch and a new pavilion, tennis courts, pitch and putt, a pond and croquet lawn. An area of public amenity land would be retained and the remaining woodland and scrub kept for recreational purposes for new residents. Provision will also be made for associated parking, access roads, paths and landscaping. The legal agreement (Section 106 Agreement) will require affordable housing to be built as part of the development, will control the phasing of the development and will also secure the payment of necessary transport and other infrastructure costs. The agreement will also address issues such as the restoration of the Chapel, historic gardens and landscape, plus the implementation of ecology management plans and renewable energy on the site. Sam Howes, deputy chief executive, said: "Following the unfortunate closure of the hospital last year, the present scheme achieves a successful balance between finding an acceptable alternative use for a significant listed building, and making an important contribution to the housing requirement in the northern part of the district, whilst improving the overall amenity of the site which is within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty". Once the Section 106 Agreement has been finalised, which should be within the next few months, the planning permission can be issued and the development can commence. The accompanying Listed Building Application was referred to the secretary of state with a recommendation to permit with appropriate conditions.
