Information - North Wales Hospital, Denbigh

[mookster]

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)

80% of the site is either not listed and utterly wrecked, or listed but sadly beyond any financially viable restoration.

You're not going to get a developer pissing money into the wind trying to save parts that have no hope of realising the costs back. We are lucky that the council removed everything from the front blocks and re-roofed it a few years back or else it might all have been on the chopping block.

 

[Bernrod]

80% of the site is either not listed and utterly wrecked, or listed but sadly beyond any financially viable restoration.

You're not going to get a developer pissing money into the wind trying to save parts that have no hope of realising the costs back. We are lucky that the council removed everything from the front blocks and re-roofed it a few years back or else it might all have been on the chopping block.

Yeah that's true but there's what 3-4 old asylums left that haven't been converted? And I think it needs to come down to preserving the history more then making a profit. I mean why do you preserve alot of these state houses or castles? Alot of them cost more to run then they make but it's a completely different story when it is those types of buildings

 

[Bernrod]

I mean these buildings wether we like it or not are part of our history, culture and heritage. Thought, precision and design all go into these beautiful buildings yet at the same time they hold a very dark secret and history.

 

[Bugsuperstar]

I mean these buildings wether we like it or not are part of our history, culture and heritage. Thought, precision and design all go into these beautiful buildings yet at the same time they hold a very dark secret and history.

Your statement above goes a long way to answering your own question regarding why do castles etc get preserved. Mental health and how it has been addressed still today causes a lot of people to feel uncomfortable.

I’m sure there’s a museum in Wakefield or somewhere that way out that covers a lot of the history for the minority that would be interested in learning about it.

The redevelopment of Denbigh (if it happens) is THE best option for the site.

Developers are interested in making their invested money back. Not saving an old ruined blacksmiths or stables.

 

[mookster]

Yeah that's true but there's what 3-4 old asylums left that haven't been converted? And I think it needs to come down to preserving the history more then making a profit. I mean why do you preserve alot of these state houses or castles? Alot of them cost more to run then they make but it's a completely different story when it is those types of buildings

Mental health buildings especially old ones have a lot of stigma attached to them. There are many more than a few left in an unconverted state but lots are still partially active.

Many old asylum buildings have been preserved for the future through careful redevelopment schemes, saving the easily converted ward blocks and getting rid of the service areas which are not as readily converted into housing. In the case of Denbigh it is a nationally listed historically important building in North Wales, unlike many asylums which were never legally protected through listing. Even in the case of non listed asylums, look at the fantastic conversion of West Park. The developers could have chosen to flatten the whole lot however they kept every radiating ward block as well as the tower and admin, many are lucky to survive with just the tower chapel and admin intact in a development. Unlike Denbigh the majority of West Park was in a solid condition and so it was financially feasible to save a lot of the buildings even if they did cop out and rename the new development 'Noble Park'.

We should count it a lucky break that the CPO was issued by the council, as the previous owners showed zero interest in saving anything and allowed it to fall into ruins.

 

[ExploringWithBros]

Was at the asylum a few weeks back and to confirm their is on sight security as well as a new kinda hut at the main entrance past the main gates. Future up to the main entrance their is a new kinda office. Also when was their was a nice 4x4 parked up with people in it and this was around 8:30pm Myself and my mate decided to go round the back area. We wanted to take some shots but with the equipment we had in the car would of lit the whole place up lol. So instead we went down to pool park asylum where we did get a lot of footage done. Denbigh Asylum I have visited many times and also about 12 years ago I had visited this place once with a lot of friend and I will try to get some of the footage made digital as their on old tapes and will get to uploading them onto my channel and post up on here for everyone.

 

[Scoobysrt]

I had a long post written out but instead I'll just say I think you're absolutely deluded and if I was developing it I wouldn't even look at a petition and would tell you to keep your nose out of stuff that is nothing to do with you.
150k for 1 bedroom flat? 4 please, I'll rent them out, ive never heard of anything so cheap.

I'm honestly not meaning to be nasty I just can never understand people who stop their daily grind and make an effort to poke their nose in and stir shit up when it's absolutely nothing to do with them and any result will not affect them in any way.

Put this energy into a worthy cause like cleaning the beaches of plastic or stopping animal abuse for example and your efforts will give more reward and better accolade if that's your aim but mostly in somthing like those your efforts could make a difference where as here I think your flogging a dead horse both legally and morally.

Purely just my opinion though, I'm not trying to cause a fight as I'll only embarrass myself by going over the top lol.

 

[Polominto73]

@mookster hit the nail on the head the stigma attached to these buildings put a lot of people off .as is the case of ravens Craig poor house /asylum and lately mental health unit in Greenock Scotland .a beautiful old building now threatened with demo because of its so called unsavoury past.would you not rather see a historic building saved and preserved. if its poncy flats?

 

[tumbles]

Yeah that's true but there's what 3-4 old asylums left that haven't been converted? And I think it needs to come down to preserving the history more then making a profit. I mean why do you preserve alot of these state houses or castles? Alot of them cost more to run then they make but it's a completely different story when it is those types of buildings

You can't save them all unfortunately. I would rather they can viably (from a financial point of view) save the fantastic administration building. The location of the buildings realistically does in any chance of much more being saved. Why do you think both North & Mid Wales Hospitals are rotting away, because they are in the arse end of nowhere (Mid Wales more, granted) and you aren't going to get people buying £750'000 penthouse suites. If they were in good locations they'd already be saved - take Bristol General Hospital which overlooks the docks. City & County have thrown an absolute bucket load of money at the buildings and restored the whole thing back to its original 1930's design. Why? Because half of the apartments are going for over £1m and its financially viable.

DCC had a choice - let the entire lot fall to ruins or save what they could within the scope of a financially viable project. We can't save them all unfortunately. Mid Wales will no doubt all be bulldozed one day and we've already lost unique designs such Cane Hill to the wreaking ball.

 

[mookster]

If they were in good locations they'd already be saved - take Bristol General Hospital which overlooks the docks. City & County have thrown an absolute bucket load of money at the buildings and restored the whole thing back to its original 1930's design. Why? Because half of the apartments are going for over £1m and its financially viable.
.

Ditto with West Park given Epsom's proximity to London.

It is almost 100% likely that the only things that could possibly be saved at Talgarth/Mid Wales are the admin and chapel - the rest of it will be bulldozed as it's arguably in an even worse state than Denbigh.

 

[adventure4000]

I think, Denbigh, needs to rot really. I think to many things went on in there for the worse not better. Still gives me chills when I walk round this site. Would be good to keep the front of the building, its the only part worth saving anyways. Crazy having security on site there is nothing to destroy its all gone to the ground. Talgarth and pool parc is the same, they will just flatten it completely nothing to save there. Best clean one I have visited is Cardiff south wales.

 

[Luke vaughan]

I think, Denbigh, needs to rot really. I think to many things went on in there for the worse not better. Still gives me chills when I walk round this site. Would be good to keep the front of the building, its the only part worth saving anyways. Crazy having security on site there is nothing to destroy its all gone to the ground. Talgarth and pool parc is the same, they will just flatten it completely nothing to save there. Best clean one I have visited is Cardiff south wales.

Yeah the asylum is the best one man In Cardiff that is

 

[surrey urbanex]

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)

If any of it is listed grade A they cant knock it down unless they apply for an incorporation statement to change the insides in to what they have planned for whatever building it is and that has to be refused before they can go to next stage. To change a site from derilict to in use by members of the public is a legal nightmare aside from just the health and safety aspect of making a site safe you will have to install cctv to safeguard the public also fire precautions as well with an evac plan certified by fire service and lastly public liability insurance the running costs alone will be ......huge far below what you make even putting a 1000 people thru a day at the gates

 

[tumbles]

I think, Denbigh, needs to rot really. I think to many things went on in there for the worse not better. Still gives me chills when I walk round this site. Would be good to keep the front of the building, its the only part worth saving anyways. Crazy having security on site there is nothing to destroy its all gone to the ground. Talgarth and pool parc is the same, they will just flatten it completely nothing to save there. Best clean one I have visited is Cardiff south wales.

Too many bad things? What like the first welsh speaking asylum - giving relief to many who suffered not being able to communicate properly in English speaking asylums.

Yes it’s not that bad things didn’t happen but at the time understanding of mental health was still in its infnancy. Without the asylums the greater understanding, drug breakthroughs and public perception of mental health may not have happened.

Far more good happened in these places than bad. It’s just people highlight the bad more.

 

[tumbles]

If any of it is listed grade A they cant knock it down unless they apply for an incorporation statement to change the insides in to what they have planned for whatever building it is and that has to be refused before they can go to next stage. To change a site from derilict to in use by members of the public is a legal nightmare aside from just the health and safety aspect of making a site safe you will have to install cctv to safeguard the public also fire precautions as well with an evac plan certified by fire service and lastly public liability insurance the running costs alone will be ......huge far below what you make even putting a 1000 people thru a day at the gates

The place has outlining planning permission for residential use. Not sure why you think it’s being turned into a tourist attraction.