Information - North Wales Hospital, Denbigh

[Bernrod]

Hi everyone
I know this has nothing to do with exploring a site however I think a lot of us can agree that the plan for denbigh asylum is an outrageous and stupid one. This is why I have started a petition to somewhat halt or change the mind of those re developing Denbigh. It would mean a great deal to me if you could sign this petition and share it around.
https://www.change.org/p/denbighshi...ry-flats/share_for_starters?just_created=true

 

[Bugsuperstar]

Just to clarify - in your linked page it seems you’re suggesting the local council make the site safe and open it up as it is as an “exploring attraction” rather than demolish the standard wrecked 80% and presumably redevelop the main building? I may have misunderstood that though.

I’ve never visited Denbigh but I’ve visited high royds several times - before redevelopment and after it started and beyond. I’ve also seen many other sites redeveloped - for the better.

Repurposing and redevelopment of buildings like Denbigh in my opinion is a far better solution than just leaving it as a skeleton carcass which will inevitably be demolished completely and lost forever.

I don’t think the cost of any proposed apartments should factor into it unless a person is seriously planning on moving there.

I currently live near Cork city in Ireland and there is a huge asylum here that was part redeveloped pre-recession. Plenty of young people and families have managed to buy/rent what is available and I know this is not a unique example.

 

[HughieD]

To be honest it doesn't look good when you have spelling mistakes like 'rediculous' and 'popukar' in the pitch for your petition. Additionally, buildings that 'survive' over time (and this has been true since Roman times) are the ones that find alternative uses that are sustainable. I'm not sure that preserving Denbigh as an 'urbex attraction' will be sustainable. Just saying...

 

[Bernrod]

What I'm trying to say is that it can be developed for many more uses then just expensive housing. I'm no expert but from just looking at Denbigh you can tell that the area would benefit more from having a new visitor attraction that also employees local people and is actually bringing something back into the community rather then just becoming another apartment block (that literally every asylum has been turned into one now)
And the other thing is that 80% of the site will be demolished. That's gas works, blacksmiths, farm houses, bakery, post offices etc (people forgot that this was a village inside a village and had its own community) and these are all buildings that have history to them. Not to mention the fact that the asylum is pretty much the main reason why Denbigh is known outside of Wales. And there's just the point that there is no asylum that has been redeveloped which has kept most of its buildings and actually bought something back into the local community

 

[Bernrod]

And where is everyone getting the idea that I'm saying it should be open for urbex explorers, I only mention that there are a great deal of people who travel to see an old asylum.

 

[Scoobysrt]

The place could be made into a theme park and it will still loose money.

The only sensible way to spend the public's money on such a thing is to make additional housing and I suspect that was the main point of their legal argument in the compulsory purchase. If they did somthing else with it I think they would be opening themselves up to legal disputes.

Honestly nothing against you but I think your alternatives are terrible. Housing is the best and most respectful way to go, let the new homeowner pay for its upkeep rather than saddling the local council with running costs for the rest of its existence.

 

[Bernrod]

Well the property was going to be bought buy an independent contractor so I don't understand how it would be the council paying for it if a private company took hold of the site

 

[Bernrod]

And they won't be 'affordable' if you call £150,000 for a one bedroom flat affordable

 

[HughieD]

What I'm trying to say is that it can be developed for many more uses then just expensive housing. I'm no expert but from just looking at Denbigh you can tell that the area would benefit more from having a new visitor attraction that also employees local people and is actually bringing something back into the community rather then just becoming another apartment block (that literally every asylum has been turned into one now)
And the other thing is that 80% of the site will be demolished. That's gas works, blacksmiths, farm houses, bakery, post offices etc (people forgot that this was a village inside a village and had its own community) and these are all buildings that have history to them. Not to mention the fact that the asylum is pretty much the main reason why Denbigh is known outside of Wales. And there's just the point that there is no asylum that has been redeveloped which has kept most of its buildings and actually bought something back into the local community

OK...that makes much more sense now. Put it in your petition as that doesn't come through in its current form.

 

[Yorrick]

£150,000 for a one bedroom flat affordable

Where have you seen or heard this please? Have you got a link?

 

[Bernrod]

I think we're missing the point here anyway

They want to demolish 80% of the site, instead of all these beautiful old buildings being converted into something useful they're just gonna knock most of it down and then again we would've lost a huge part of are history regarding mental health and treatment (the simple fact that they want to demolish the majority of the site should be enough for most people to want to oppose this process)

 

[Bernrod]

Where have you seen or heard this please? Have you got a link?

Nope but judging from what I've seen other flats sell for in converted asylums it wouldn't surprise me, I've personally got a friend who lives in a converted chapel and his house is worth easily £280,000+.
Not really affordable housing is it?

 

[Bernrod]

OK...that makes much more sense now. Put it in your petition as that doesn't come through in its current form.

Cheers man I'll do that now

 

[Yorrick]

Cheers man I'll do that now

While you're editing, it opened in 1848 and closed in 1995, so 147 years of history of "what went on behind those walls" not 200.

 

[mrwhite]

I doubt you are gonna change anything with 100 signatures