Community Group Publish Radical New Plan for St Ann's Hospital Site

The community-led St Ann's Redevelopment Trust have just published their radical blueprint for up to 800 new affordable homes on the site of St Ann’s hospital.

Barnet, Enfield and Haringey NHS Mental Health Trust plans to sell off two thirds of the large hospital site, with mental health services continuing to run from the remainder of the site.

The default solution would see private developers building high cost private homes on the site with little account being taken of the needs of local people. Original plans would have seen two-thirds of the St Ann’s Hospital site sold for private housing development, with only 14% of the homes classed as “affordable”. 

In an effort to wrest control back the the community, the St Ann’s Redevelopment Trust (StART) developed an alternative vision. After a successful crowd-funding appeal, they commissioned professional architects to take their plans forward.

StART’s aims differ radically from those of private developers. Their ambition is to develop high-quality housing at truly affordable prices in an environmentally rich setting, promoting residents' health and wellbeing.

Their newly published masterplan includes a series of buildings placed within a sympathetically landscaped setting. Key public spaces such as the Peace Gardens would be retained and enhanced. New squares would be formed around the Water Tower and Works building and some Victorian buildings would be left to compliment new buildings.

20% of the homes will be either sheltered, supported or communal/shared housing. Of the remaining homes about 75% would be rented and 25% would be homes for sale – all at genuinely affordable prices if they can achieve it.

The group also want to support a vibrant, participatory community. Plans envisage the provision of community spaces, retail and commercial units and space for light industrial workshops.

The plans seek to enable the local community to benefit from the public green spaces through a range of social outdoor facilities. Plans also include community gardening and food-growing projects, play spaces, community arts projects, green gyms, and therapeutic gardening, in partnership with other local groups and maintaining strong links with St Ann’s Hospital services.

An abbreviated version of the masterplan is attached.