Whitchurch Hospital: A Dream Worth Saving
Jul
I’ve had a dream for quite a while. A vision of something quite special for our little corner of Wales. It’s come into sharp focus – with a hint of jeopardy – over the past few months.
Did you know that Whitchurch Hospital is up for sale?
Velindre, the local NHS Trust, have deemed that the old hospital is surplus-to-their-needs, and are looking to sell it off to a developer for housing. The hospital buildings, the land, the chapel, even the sports pitches are all up for grabs. They’re speaking to developers, even as you’re reading this article.
In an attempt to give prospective developers an idea of what can be achieved, the NHS Trust have commissioned their own set of architects to produce a masterplan. They’ve even held a series of drop-in sessions locally to assess residents’ opinions.
The architects suggest that many of the old ward buildings should be kept, and re-imagined as apartments and townhouses. Many of the other buildings on the site – those which the architects consider to be of lesser worth – could be demolished, to infill with brand new houses and apartments instead. There would be hundreds of new houses and flats in the development. We’ve been assured that the whole site would be sustainably designed with lots of new trees and parklands. It all sounds lovely.
In all of this, there are five-or-so hospital buildings – probably the most significant on the site – that the architects have listed for ‘community’ use. Cynical me thinks these are the more difficult, and expensive to develop. They include the impressive entrance building (see my sketch) – then there’s the theatre – a quirky kitchen/utility building nearby – a further detached block near to the Maggie Centre – and the old chapel. Strangely, they haven’t included the iconic water tower.
I’ve included a copy of the 1920 Ordnance Survey map of the hospital, so you can see the scale of it; I’ve coloured the five ‘community’ buildings in red just to help.
I’ve got no real objections to the redevelopment. Realistically, it’s the only way we’re ever going to preserve this set of historic buildings. But I do have reservations about the NHS Trust’s interpretation of ‘community’ use. I’d hate to see the important bits simply used as (say) a Wetherspoon-type pub, some accommodation for older-persons, a general-purpose community room-or-two, and perhaps somewhere for the public to use, all crammed alongside their new houses.
I have a different vision for these buildings. An arts and wellbeing facility for the area; for the whole of north Cardiff. Somewhere to rival Chapter Arts in Pontcanna, and all integrated within the redeveloped hospital.
Long have folk despaired by the lack of local facilities, for music, art, dance, film, performance, and community. This new complex could be a twenty-first century version of the Rhiwbina Rec – perhaps even more! Imagine if such a scheme also included sports facilities. The current pitches for bowls, football, rugby, hockey, and cricket – they’re all included in the development site!
‘But wouldn’t it cost too much?’ I hear you cry. ‘Don’t you know we’re living in austere times?’. ‘Wouldn’t it take too long?’
Where are the people of vision today who could take this idea forward? The modern-day versions of the local folk who dreamed of a garden village in Rhiwbina, the committee who planned and dreamed of providing a public park, and those who asked Andrew Carnegie to fund a free library for the old parish?
For the past ten years or so I’ve nagged our councillors, our recently-retired MS, even our MP, to help save the old hospital from deterioration and likely demolition.
A couple of months ago, we voted in a new Senedd with six new Members locally. I’ve already made contact with each one of them and have had encouraging responses back. Cai Parry-Jones has already asked a question of the First Minister. I’ve recently met with Anna McMorrin again with my ideas, and she seems to be more than just supportive. I think there’s the beginning of a political groundswell to enable something to happen.
There would be so much to do. We need a group of residents who can dream the dream. To look at how preliminary funding could be achieved, to kickstart the process, to approach major funders, to explore grant sources, and seek the help of local businesses, to ascertain likely costs and timescales.
And most importantly and urgently, to ensure that the five important buildings are preserved for the community, not just sold off to the highest bidder – and to ensure that there’s enough space left around them for access, drainage, and services.
There are so many important and influential folk living here – maybe this is the sort of project that they’d like to buy into. Perhaps you know someone; maybe you could ask?
How long would it all take? Certainly, five years, probably much longer. Perhaps long after my time, but I think it’s well worth pursuing.
What’s the alternative? Perhaps the whole thing drags on and a viable purchaser can’t be found. The buildings will continue to deteriorate until they are no longer economically viable and have to be demolished. Ultimately, the whole thing would become just another development site.
Alternatively, a developer is found, but as so often happens commercial/profitable solutions dictate. Again, houses and flats will fill the site and any true community benefit lost. It won’t take much for inappropriate or insensitive designs to strangle the special ‘magic’ of our 120-year-old hospital.
We’ve lost so many of our important buildings over the years:
- Our motte-and-bailey castle
- The old St Mary’s Church
- The tithe barn
- So much of the Glamorganshire Canal and the canal-side cottages
- The Melingriffith Tinworks, and the indifferent housing that replaced it
- Even our Tudor mansion, Gabalva
I’ve said it so many times, we deserve better; so much more
Isn’t this the opportunity to prove it?
I suggest an arts/sports/wellbeing facility for the north, within a sustainable, sensitive redevelopment of the old hospital. It would be something we can all benefit from, something we can all be proud of, for generations to come. A real good-news story for a change!
I’m happy to initiate something; is anyone with me?
Words and sketches by Nigel Lewis, Whitchurch
