Future plans unveiled for Birch Hill Hospital

Date published: 13/10/2005

A special briefing has been held for staff at Birch Hill Hospital ahead of the submission of an outline planning application for most of the site. The session was arranged by Pennine Acute Trust, which is responsible for the site.

Although many services have already moved, it still currently has acute services, mental health services and primary care services on it.

The proceeds of the sale will be used to fund developments for Pennine Acute Trust, which also runs Rochdale Infirmary, Rochdale Primary Care Trust and Pennine Care mental health trust.

The proposal has been prepared in consultation with Rochdale Council and meets the requirements of the Rochdale Unitary Development Plan.

The plan will see 11.45 hectares of the 16.99 hectare site sold, with mental health services being located in one corner of the grounds, along with the Floyd Unit, which provides acute neuro-rehabilitation services. Pennine Care Trust’s business case has just been approved to enable the move into refurbished buildings.

Acute services are already well advanced in moving from the site, the latest move being the renal service. It moved to the Infirmary’s former Jefferson ward, following a £500,000 renovation to create 16 dialysis stations.

Graham Lord, Head of Estate Development for Pennine Acute, said: “We are applying for outline planning permission, mainly for housing, as it will make the site more attractive to potential developers if we can sell it with that permission already in place. Naturally, our aim is to get the best value out of the site for all Rochdale’s NHS services – and this move supports that approach.

“All this move does is to seek outline planning permission – the full, formal planning permission process would have to be gone through by any developer who actually wanted to build on the site.

“We’ve just held a briefing for staff, which was very well attended, with around 30 people joining us for discussions and a question and answer session. We’ll be working hard to keep them in the loop about progress of this project as it goes through its various stages.”

It is hoped to put the surplus land on the market before the end of 2006, but dates will depend on a range of factors, including planning permission and the ongoing reconfiguration programme for community and hospital services, which is due to lead to public consultation in December. Once the land is sold, it would be released in phases.

Graham added: “We’re conscious of the history of the site, and the honourable service which it has given to the NHS down the years, and we are proposing retaining both the old chapel and the clock tower building, which has a particular place in many people’s hearts.”

A recent history project, Under the Clocktower, was arranged by Rob Vale, Pennine Acute’s arts co-ordinator. The work was based on the past of the Birch Hill site, including its time as a workhouse, and the memories of NHS staff who had worked there down the years.

The £18,000 project, funded by the Local Heritage Initiative, included walkabout theatre performances, attended by hundreds of visitors, plus a commissioned film, archive and interactive DVD. Free copies of the DVD are available from Rob on 0161 256 4389 or 07762 117008 or email robert.vale@pat.nhs.uk or robvalemail@yahoo.co.uk