DEVELOPERS at the former King Edward VII hospital in Midhurst have had to go back to the drawing board over their assisted care home plans after failing to find anyone willing to take them on.

They now want a change of use of the land earmarked for the special homes so that they can build 54 homes with underground and surface parking as well as access roads and drives.

Planning permission for the redevelopment of the whole site was granted to City Country specialist developers in 2011.

The scheme, one of the first major plans decided by the South Downs National Park Authority, was a controversial ‘enabling development’ which aimed to restore the historic listed buildings on the site by selling land for new homes in the grounds as well as converting the listed buildings.

The plan approved included the conversion of the sanatorium to 148 apartments, additional building in the grounds including the conversion of other buildings to 30 residential units, erection of 51 apartments and 108 houses.

An additional part of the plan was the building of two storey terraces and apartments to give 79 assisted car living units.

In a report to the South Downs National Park planning committee which will debate the new plan officers tell members: “Subsequent to the approval of the application, the applicants sought suitable buyers for this element of the scheme.

“Despite extensive marketing efforts, no interest has been received for the site for over three years.

“Given this extensive period of marketing, the applicants consider the assisted care living use not to be suitable or deliverable on the site.

“The applicant has therefore put forward the proposal for 53 residential units made up of 33 houses and 20 apartments to replace the consented assisted living.”

The new scheme also means the redesign of sa previously approved plans for 11 private residential homes to the east of the sanatorium.

In their report officers said the considered ‘best endeavours’ had been made to market the assisted living scheme without success ‘and the proposals in the current scheme for a suitable alternative which have been designed sensitively to appear in context in this location and the consented built form.”

The plan is due to be debated on Thursday (October 8).

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