Developer provides update about when building work will restart at retirement village at St Edmunds site in Northampton

Developers converting the former St Edmunds Hospital site in Northampton into a retirement village have provided an update about when works will restart.

The site in Wellingborough Road has stood derelict for 19 years, but in 2017 a planning application from Kayalef Holdings Limited was approved, permitting the building of a 130-apartment retirement village and 62-bed specialist care home.

St Edmunds Hospital is a former Victorian workhouse, built in 1836, and parts of the building are Grade II listed.

Construction work had started in 2018 through Northamptonshire based builders Holland Build, the first phase of which was completed at the start of this year. But the coronavirus pandemic has had an impact on the timescale of delivering the project.

In July 2020, Labour councillor Danielle Stone asked for an update on the scheme to which she was told it will 'start shortly'.

But Councillor Stone said more detail was needed after ‘wasted’ years. She said: “We badly need this project to come to fruition. You have said that Covid has interrupted it, but it was interrupted before Covid happened, and what we really need is a timeline and a finishing date. Have you got any idea when this project is going to be finished?"

This newspaper has since gone to the developers asking when work will restart.

A Rochmills Ltd spokeswoman said: "As you are aware, we commenced work on phase one of the project which was the main central section of the front building. Works on further phases have been delayed whilst we focused on our care operations during Covid.

"However, we have been working on this scheme over the last few months and are looking forward to restarting works on the front building, and submitting planning for the back of the site later this year."