Hospital site earmarked for homes put up for sale

A council report said the plans would bring the historical buildings back into use

A former hospital site with planning permission for 34 new homes has been put up for sale by the owner who says the buildings are in "desperate need" of restoration.

The plans for Guisborough General Hospital in Northgate were submitted earlier this year and approved last month by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council.

But local businessman David Walton said he planned to sell the site now planning permission has been secured.

Mr Walton said the site needed repairs and the sale was an effort to try and "do the best thing for the local community".

"I don't want to see it renovated to a poor standard, it wouldn't sit well with me as I drive past it every day," he said.

"I just want to make sure I do the best by the building and the town."

'Preserve the character'

The site was originally a workhouse and was later used to house injured servicemen and women during World War Two.

It was designated as a hospital after the creation of the NHS in 1948, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

However, the hospital closed in 2019 and a new £5.3m primary care hospital opened three years later.

The plans allow for 16 apartments to be built within the main Grade II listed hospital block, another 10 in the Ashwood building, and eight cottages in the eastern wing, known as the Mews.

A council conservation officer said the development would "preserve the character of the listed building" through the restoration of its windows and stonework.