This is our adventure into the former grand buildings of Denbigh Asylum. We wanted to document the progress made since the sad departure of Elwyn the protector and the purchase of the entire site by Denbighshire council. The work that has taken place will hopefully save Denbigh.
The North Wales Hospital is a Grade II* listed building in Denbigh, North Wales. Designed by architect Thomas Fulljames, building started in 1844 and completed in 1848. Originally known as Denbigh Asylum.
Initially a hospital for up to 200 people with psychiatric illness, by the mid-20th century it housed 1,500 patients.
Care in the community roll out in the 1980’s saw The institution wound down as a healthcare facility from 1991, finally closing in 1995.
The site was sold by NHS estates in 1999 for £155000.
There was much damage caused to the structure and its contents in the years after closure. A local man Elwyn Pierce who often claimed to be employed by the owners and then claiming otherwise was the sole protector of the site and it is likely that the remaining structures would be in a much worse state if it was not for his endeavours. Elwyn died on 17th June 2022.
The site of the former North Wales Hospital is in a serious state of disrepair. We discourage anyone from entering the buildings in the interests of their own safety.
Due to the inaction by the owners, the site was compulsorily purchased by Denbighshire Council in 2018 and plans were announced late that year for its redevelopment as housing.
Hit with the financial burden of restoring the site, only structural and essential work has been carried out to date to try and save the main buildings.
What are the future proposals for the site?
Following completion of the CPO, Denbighshire County Council appointed a preferred development partner for the site and entered into a Development Agreement with Jones Bros in July 2018.
There were a number of ongoing key requirements within the development agreement that Jones Bros were obligated to implement and maintain. Such requirements related to insurance, health & safety, on site security and planning consent.
The redevelopment proposals for the former North Wales Hospital submitted by Jones Bros (Ruthin Holdings Ltd) were presented to Denbighshire’s Planning Committee on 8 September 2021. The Committee resolved to grant planning permission subject to various conditions and on the understanding details of a s.106 legal agreement be further presented to the Committee.
Jones Bros and their various environmental consultants are progressing the production of further technical information. This will be required to satisfy Natural Resources Wales before any potential first phase demolition work could commence on site. Once this information is produced it will be submitted back to the Local Planning Authority alongside updated plans and documents and then put onto the public planning portal. Planning Committee will then meet again to give final ratification of planning conditions and the s.106 legal agreement. Once all statutory consents have been issued necessary demolition work could then commence.
Planning application by Jones Bros; Conversion, restoration, part demolition and adaptation of main range listed buildings to residential use (up to 34 dwellings), demolition of Nurses Home, Mortuary, Isolation ward, Aled ward and former gasworks buildings, and development of land within the hospital grounds for mixed use as enabling development, including up to 300 no. residential units and up to 1114 square metres of business units (comprising a mix of A1, A2, A3, B1, C1, C2, D1 and D2 uses), and construction of access, drainage and associated works.
The latest word on Denbigh Asylum and its future:
planning.denbighshire.gov.uk/...
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