12 July 2011
City & Country Group Agrees Terms on Bristol General Hospital
City & Country Group, the award-winning restoration and
conservation specialist has agreed terms with University Hospitals
NHS Foundation Trust for the landmark Grade II listed Bristol
General Hospital. The company has established a reputation for
prestigious and sensitive conversions of listed and historic
buildings. This will be City & Country's first major
development in the South West.
The site extends to almost three acres with the imposing main
hospital building sitting upon the quayside. This structure along
with the former lodge and main hospital gates on Guinea Street are
Grade II listed. A further array of Victorian buildings on the site
are either curtilage listed or listed by association. The hospital
has been influenced by a range of architectural styles as it was
added to throughout the 19th and 20th
centuries. City & Country Group has announced their intention
to ensure that the buildings, which have been purchased at a cost
of in excess of £6 million, are restored to their former glory.
Tim Sargeant, Chief Executive of City & Country Group,
comments, "Bristol General Hospital is our first major acquisition
outside of our traditional area of the South East and we are
looking forward to bringing our experience and expertise in
restoration to this exciting project. With its stunning waterside
location close to the centre of the city we believe that it will
provide a new dimension to the Harbourside area.
"We will spend the next few months gathering a team which is
appropriate for such a prestigious location and working closely
with the community, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation
Trust, Bristol City Council and English Heritage to draw up
appropriate plans for this landmark building.
"Securing such a high profile and historic building is another
step forward for City & Country in fulfilling our vision for
the company. Through our specialisation in the conservation and
restoration of heritage buildings we have seen strong growth over
the past year and we are keen to continue to ensure architecturally
important buildings remain in valuable use."
The Bristol General Hospital is now a rehabilitation hospital
for the elderly and stroke patients which treats patients from
Bristol and North Somerset. It has 77 inpatient beds and outpatient
facilities including clinics, physiotherapy services, and a day
assessment service for elderly people. There is also a sleep clinic
and a sleep studies department serving a wider population in the
South West.
The Bristol General Hospital will close in 2012 when the planned
South Bristol Community Hospital opens and the care of the elderly
and rehabilitation services currently provided at the General
transfer to the new hospital. South Bristol Community Hospital will
provide a walk-in minor injuries unit and GP out-of-hours service;
operating theatres for day surgery; inpatient beds for stroke and
rehabilitation; clinics for a range of outpatient appointments;
diagnostic tests such as X-rays, scans and endoscopies, a dental
services and training for student dentists.
Deborah Lee, Director of Strategic Development for University
Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said, "The Bristol General Hospital
has been an important part of Bristol healthcare delivery for more
than a century and it is therefore important for the city and for
future patients that the healthcare services continue to be
provided but that they are provided in a modern and appropriate
environment. South Bristol Community Hospital will provide such
accommodation. Before ownership is transferred to City &
Country we will have an open day for local people to come and look
round the building as well as capturing its important role in the
provision of healthcare over the decades through a memory
project."
Andrew Scott, Senior Surveyor within Bristol Agency &
Development at BNP Paribas Real Estate, said: "This was a major,
high profile instruction, regarding this key city centre
development opportunity and we are thrilled to have agreed terms on
the sale of the property to a developer with an outstanding
reputation as 'best in class' for sensitive restoration and
regeneration.
"Bristol General Hospital represents one of the largest
redevelopment sites in the city and we see it as a potential
catalyst to stimulate the wider regeneration of western Redcliffe.
It has the potential to accommodate a wide variety of sustainable
uses and thus, breathe a new life into the local area"
City & Country's current projects include stunning and
highly sensitive conversions of a variety of Grade II and II*
listed buildings including The Galleries, Brentwood, Old Saint
Michaels, Braintree, Balls Park, Hertford, Bentley Priory, Stanmore
and King Edward VII Hospital, Midhurst. For further information,
contact City & Country Group on telephone: 01279 817 882 or
visit www.cityandcountry.co.uk
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