Denbigh: Hopes and fears over abandoned asylum flats plans

After more than three decades of lying empty, plans to turn a former Victorian asylum into flats have divided a town.

Denbigh's North Wales Hospital will be transformed into apartments and up to 300 homes after plans were passed by Denbighshire council.

While some said it would be great to see it restored, others fear the new homes could put pressure on services.

The council said the plans were a "key milestone" for the future of the building.

At its peak, the psychiatric facility housed 1,500 patients in a vast complex on the outskirts of the town.

However, the Grade II* listed building has been plagued by arson and vandalism since the hospital was closed and abandoned in 1995.

Last week, councillors approved plans to restore the central hospital building and convert it into apartments, with a further 300 new homes to be built on surrounding land.

Those who used to work at the hospital - which was built in the 1840s and closed in 1995 - and people who live in the area, said they were happy to see it being saved from ruin.

Delyth Trevelyan, 66, moved to the Denbighshire town from London when her husband got a job as a consultant at the hospital.

"It was such a huge employer of Denbigh people," she said.

"Whole families used to work there. I was astounded when I moved up here that there would be a whole family - parents, uncles, aunties, nephews, nieces - all working at the hospital."

Ms Trevelyan welcomed the development, saying former workers, like her husband felt "very sad that it was left to go into a state of disrepair".

However councillor Gwyneth Kensler said while the restoration was good news, the new homes could cause traffic issues and put increased pressure on schools and health services.

The plans have no social or affordable housing element, and the Plaid Cymru councillor raised concerns about second homes.

"It will create, in a way, a new village on the outskirts of the town," she said.

"We've had lots of house building in Denbigh and places like Llanrhaeadr.

"Who will buy these houses? Will it impact the culture and the Welsh language? And will locals be able to afford these houses?".

Rhian Owen, who grew up in the town, said the restoration and new homes would be good for local businesses.

The 57-year-old's father-in-law worked at a chef at the hospital and she said when it closed many shops and cafes closed down.

Connor Shakespeare, 25, whose aunt worked in the hospital, said he hoped the new homes would help young people be able to buy in their community.

"As a young person trying to look for a house, it's too expensive, there's hardly anywhere in good locations," he said.

"For young families looking for housing, it would be great."

Since the hospital closed in 1995, it has had several owners, with Denbighshire council eventually obtaining the site through a compulsory purchase order.

The newly approved plans, put forward by locally-based developers Jones Bros, could bring around 1,200 jobs. The company has already set up a training centre on site.

While the plans were approved by the council's planning committee on 8 September, a further agreement on planning conditions needs to be signed before work can start.

Council leader Hugh Evans has indicated that he expects the decade-long project to begin in about 18 months.

"The history of the North Wales Hospital site has been a long and difficult one but this is a key milestone on the journey to a better future for a building that has a special link with the town and its people," said a council spokesperson.

"The planning permission will be subject to conditions and a legal agreement which will seek to mitigate impacts upon the area.

"Issues such as the restoration of the main range listed buildings, off site highway and footpath improvements, ecology and biodiversity enhancements, climate change, Welsh Language and culture and the promotion of the use of local materials, labour and training opportunities will be built into the permission."