"Cocoon" will cover landmark building
A protective cocoon will be built over a 174-year-old former Northampton workhouse to make sure the listed building is not damaged while development work goes on around it.
When plans were originally passed to redevelop the former St Edmund's Hospital site in Wellingborough Road, councillors said the former workhouse must be the first building to be restored.
But the developers who own the site have since said it is no longer economically viable to work on the listed building before the rest of the site.
During a meeting of Northampton Borough Council's planning committee this week, councillors were told a scaffolding cocoon would now be built around the workhouse to make sure it was not damaged by any building work or weather.
The chairman of the planning committee, Councillor Scott Collins (Lib Dem, Eastfield) accepted the plan was the best way forward for the site, which has been awaiting restoration for years.
He said: "I think it's worth accepting this to secure the redevelopment of the rest of the site, because if they're saying they can't afford to do it in any other way, there's a chance the site could lay completely derelict until they've decided what they're going to do."
He was backed by fellow planning committee member, Councillor Matt Golby (Con, New Duston) who agreed the protective cover would protect the old building.
He said: "It's very important to make sure buildings like the workhouse are protected and we're doing all we can to make sure the developers are doing what they should be to protect what's there."
The full redevelopment of the hospital site will see a retirement village built as well as a number of new shops.
A restaurant has already been built on part of the site and part of the workhouse was covered in scaffolding last year.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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