Sale of former hospital in Lancashire raises vital funds for NHS

NHS Property Services has completed the sale of the former Clitheroe Hospital in Lancashire.

The agreed purchase price, after deductions for contributions for affordable housing, additional secondary school places at Clitheroe Grammar School and other community benefits, was in excess of £2million.

The site, in Chatburn Road, was vacated following the opening of the adjacent £7.8million Clitheroe Community Hospital in May 2014. The site has been sold to McDermott Homes so it can be brought back into use as new homes.

The site was declared surplus to the needs of the NHS by East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group and the role of NHS Property Services was to dispose of the property to generate valuable funds for reinvestment in the NHS.

Hanna Hardy, Senior Transaction Manager for NHS Property Services, said: “Not only has this sale generated millions of pounds for reinvestment, it means an empty site can be brought back into use as much-needed new homes. Proceeds from the sale will be reinvested in the NHS.”

The property was originally listed on the Government’s Register of Surplus Public Sector Land to enable other public bodies the opportunity to acquire it at market value, however, no viable approaches were received.

After advertising the site on the open market, NHS PS agreed a sale with McDermott Homes, conditional on achieving planning permission for a residential development at the site. Full planning permission was granted by Ribble Valley District Council in February 2018 for the demolition of the existing buildings and construction of 60 dwellings.

The 1.97-hectare site includes a range of former hospital buildings, along with car parks and outbuildings.

Andrew Darbyshire, Land Director at McDermott Homes, added: “We are thrilled to be able to announce our plans for the forthcoming development in Clitheroe. Clitheroe is a beautiful town which has a great community and offers people the best of town and country living.”

The site was marketed by Agents BNP Paribas Real Estate.

Alex Willis, Associate Director at BNP Paribas Real Estate said: “We are delighted that the sale of the former Clitheroe Hospital site has completed and new housing can now be delivered on this vacant site.  All parties worked hard to achieve an exchange of contracts just over a month after offers for the site were received and completion 12 months thereafter.”