Demolition of hospital housing blocks under way

The North Devon District Hospital was given £22.7m for the redevelopment of its current facilities

Work to demolish two former hospital accommodation blocks has started as part of a £22.7m project to redevelop the site.

The North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple was given the money from the New Hospital Programme.

The two buildings will be replaced with new housing which will provide 120 ensuite bedrooms, including four fully accessible family apartments and six single accessible ensuite rooms.

Prof David Sanders, clinical director of surgery at the hospital, said "in order to attract staff and be able to retain them... it's vitally important" to build the new accommodation.

Ian Roome, MP for North Devon, said the development meant "we can have the clinicians and the staff here to make sure that North Devon District Hospital can continue to save the patients in the local community who are in need of their professional skills".

Nicola Brewer, associate programme director of the Our Future Hospital programme at the hospital, said: "Unfortunately it's not as exciting as getting a big wrecking ball or some dynamite in anymore."

Ms Brewer it was really a deconstruction of the building which started with the roof because "we did have some roosting bats in our roofs and so because of the ecology side of things and taking care of our bats, the roof was taken off tile by tile".

She added: "Now that really important piece of work has been done the building will then be deconstructed bit by bit... and pieces all of the component parts of the buildings will be sifted so as much as possible can be recycled, and we estimate that about 98% of the building will be recycled."