The Grade II* listed Denbigh hospital in North Wales is now the subject of a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO), confirmed by the Welsh Government.
Denbighshire County Council writes:
Denbighshire County Council has hailed a decision by the Welsh Government to confirm a Compulsory Purchase Order served on the owners of the former North Wales Hospital site as a major milestone in the efforts to protect and preserve the site.
The Council’s Planning Committee voted in favour of the CPO for the site back in September 2013 after the owners Freemont (Denbigh) Limited, based in the British Virgin Islands, failed to comply with a Repairs Notice served by the Council, which required the owners to carry out significant repairs to the buildings on site.
A Public Inquiry was held earlier this year following a decision by the owner of the site to challenge the CPO served by the Council.
The CPO required Freemont (Denbigh) Ltd to sell the building to Denbighshire County Council, who will in turn pass the ownership of the site onto the North Wales Building Preservation Trust. The Trust will manage the restoration of the main buildings by progressing enabling development on the associated land, the profit from which will fund the restoration of the most important listed buildings and the demolition of a number of less important buildings. The newly formed Trust is a none profit making organisation, who will receive support from the Princes Regeneration Trust.
Councillor David Smith, Cabinet Lead Member for Environment, said: ‘The Minister’s decision totally vindicates the great efforts made by the Council and its partners to protect this important historic site for future generations.
‘We were naturally very disappointed that the owners decided to challenge the CPO, but that was not entirely unexpected, given the owners’ complete lack of co-operation over recent years.
‘The Council’s main consideration has always been about the preservation of the main historic building on site and we warned the owners time and time again that we would go down the compulsory purchase route, should we have no other option.
‘This has been an extremely frustrating process which has been drawn out due to the lack of action from the site owners to carry out urgent works on the property. It has been frustrating for the Council and partners who have worked so hard to resolve this situation and it’s also been unsettling for the local community.
‘Hopefully the rejection of the appeal will allow the Council to purchase the site and to hand it over to the Trust. Developing the site would have significant economic benefits to the town of Denbigh and surrounding area’.
‘There are many issues to be resolved before the Council can take ownership and for the Council to pass the ownership on to the Trust. As such, work will not commence on site for some time’.
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