3:30pm Thursday 18th March 2010
By Siobhan Ryan, Health Reporter
A landmark children's hospital will be protected against developers under new council guidelines.
Campaigners have fought to save the distinctive main building of the former Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital in Brighton ever since its NHS owners moved out in 2006.
Now a draft planning brief drawn up by Brighton and Hove City Council recommends the Victorian building should be retained in any redevelopment of the site.
New owners Taylor Wimpey had wanted to pull the hospital buildings down to make room for 149 flats and a new surgery on the site in Dyke Road.
However they were thrown out by the council and a subsequent appeal rejected by a planning inspector last year.
As well as keeping the main building, other key principles outlined by the council include retaining the open space to the south of the site, ensuring new buildings are not more than five storeys, and safeguarding any trees currently under preservation orders.
While the main historic building would be retained, according to the report, others in the middle of the site could not be kept without severely limiting development potential.
These include the Elizabeth Day Centre, the laundry building and the nurses home.
The guidance is expected to be approved by council cabinet member for the environment, Geoffrey Theobald, next week.
He said: “Ideally we need a policy which reflects the community’s desire to keep the basic character provided by the current buildings.
“I favour retaining a site’s existing character where it is valued by local people.
“At the same time we need to be wary of any policies that might cause buildings to lay empty for years and become an eyesore rather than an asset.”
Taylor Wimpey was unable to comment at the time The Argus went to press.
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