A REQUEST to have the old Malvern hospital declared a listed building has been turned down by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.
The plea to protect the building in Lansdowne Crescent came after developer Montpelier Estates unveiled its plan to demolish it and build a care home on the site.
It was made by historic building consultants Rock Davidson Associates, based in Bank Street, Link Top. Local residents and groups such as Malvern Civic Society are also opposing the demolition.
This week, Louise Davidson of Rock Davidson said: “Even if not seen as worthy of national listing, the former hospital should be protected against demolition as a locally important building in the conservation area under local planning policy and should therefore not be under threat of demolition and hopefully found a suitable re-use.”
She said the report from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport dis state that the hospital is of “of strong local architectural and historic interest,” and it is “noted for its strong local presence, expressed in the scale and massing of its design, its quality features, and its local historic significance”.
James McGarry of Montpelier said: “This will now allow our applications to proceed through the planning process.
“Clearly we would not have considered the site for development as a care home, which cannot be accommodated in a converted building, if we thought the existing premises had any historic architectural merit or a commercially viable conversion solution.
“We do, of course, understand local resistance to change but our experience is that once new care homes are completed, they integrate perfectly, providing quality services, capital investment and local employment.”
Montpelier has submitted two applications for its car home proposal, one traditional in design and one more modern. The application will be decided by the district council.
The old hospital closed in 2010 after the completion of its replacement, the new Malvern Community Hospital in Worcester Road, Malvern Link.