Chipping Norton's neglected community hospital goes up for sale as a development opportunity
Chipping Norton's neglected community hospital has gone up for sale after 15 years as a town centre eyesore.
The fate of the much-loved memorial hospital is unknown but the developer who bought it from the NHS – St Charles Homes - is selling it on, complete with planning permission for housing.
The memorial hospital is close to people’s hearts in Chippy – many were born there, convalesced there or have relatives who have died there.
Staff and the building are fondly remembered by townsfolk and Chipping Norton News has carried a number of stories about its neglect.
Now it has been placed in the hands of land agents, Savils, which is advertising the site as a development opportunity over .73 acre for 14 homes.
The company says: “This building will be incorporated within the new development and converted to provide two 3-bedroom semi-detached dwellings. All other buildings that had previously been onsite have now been demolished. The site is ready for imminent construction.”
St Charles Homes has not responded to the Banbury Guardian’s requests for information.
One Chippy News volunteer said: “The community hospital was replaced by a new facility off Russell Way 15 years ago and the NHS sold the site to St Charles Homes, who got planning permission for the conversion of the core of the original building to houses and the construction of new homes in the grounds.
"Since then, it has lain vacant in an ever increasing state of dereliction. Despite being locally listed, lying within a conservation area in a very prominent location within the town centre, it has been an eyesore for those 15 years.
"The company tried to resell the site for £2m - by then with the benefit of planning permission. Despite changing agents a couple of times, there seemed to be little interest, until summer 2023 when a development company asked the district council to confirm development had started on site, meaning the planning permission remained valid.
" However, there has been little sign of any progress.
“What makes this site so poignant is that the money to build the hospital was raised locally by public subscription,” said the volunteer. “The NHS made £1.5m on the sale and the derelict site lies at the physical and metaphorical heart of our community.”