Appeal for former Rushden hospital site to be converted into homes
An appeal has been lodged to re-examine plans to convert vacant land at a former Northamptonshire hospital site into residential houses.
The area of land in question is located at the former Rushden Hospital site, off Catlin Way.
Much of the larger area has already been redeveloped through previously approved planning permission, however proposals for this parcel of land fell through during the process.
Revised plans were submitted by the current applicant Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in 2022 to use the entire plot of land for 27 homes.
The initial outline permission, granted in 2012, earmarked the area for the erection of an NHS resource centre, open space and parking.
Further investigation found the trust already had unused building space elsewhere that it could grow into in the future and the facilities were never brought forward as they were no longer needed.
The site, which sits on a large field just above South End Infant School, has remained vacant ever since the original planning permission lapsed in 2015.
Indicative blueprints for the new scheme set out the layout of the homes and 54 proposed parking spaces, however if approved it will be the subject of a further reserved matters application.
The NHS Foundation Trust had applied to the government’s planning inspectorate to appeal as North Northamptonshire Council did not issue a decision within the appropriate time scales.
In its appeal statement, the trust wrote: “The significant delay and lack of any certainty as to when a decision may be reached is unacceptable. The appellant has lost confidence in the LPA and has had to lodge this appeal against non-determination of the application in order to obtain a decision.”
It has also revised plans since to bring the number of homes down to 22 and deliver an on-site play area.
According to NNC’s website, 81 objections to the plans were submitted by members of the public. Concerns included the impact on the nearby school and child safety, existing parking and traffic issues, overdevelopment of a ‘cramped’ area and loss of green space.
One person wrote: “We currently have huge developments in Rushden and to place more homes in an already over populated area without sufficient infrastructure is utterly ridiculous.
"The area is already dangerous due to parking and the additional homes previously built off Wymington Road.
“The school and the parents of students have significant concerns about the impact this will have on our security, safety on roads in the local area and our finances due to the additional maintenance and security measures we would have to take in order to safeguard our children.”
Many commented that the land should be used for the infant school to expand into and that it was ‘promised’ to them when it was originally developed. The appellant responded that it is an NHS public body that cannot ‘gift’ public land to another party.
The planning inspectorate has started looking at the case to make its determination. No decision date has been set as of yet, but final comments from the applicant and the council are due in August.