Detailed plans have been unveiled for a major 286-home development on the Queen Mary's Hospital site next to the Grade I listed Roehampton House.

The planning application, which is to be submitted to the council next week, contains no provision for key worker or affordable housing, which Wandsworth Primary Care Trust (PCT) says is in line with the NHS Estate Code to gain the best value from the land. Homes on the 4.2 hectare site to the south of the site will be a mix of houses and flats of between two and five storeys designed to be sympathetic to Roehampton House and an option for a primary care centre is also included in the plans.

Speaking at the PCT board meeting on Wednesday, project director Tony Griffiths said the issue of affordable and

key worker housing would

be addressed in future PCT discussions.

He said: "What the PCT needs to think about is what is its level of key worker housing and does it need to include this sort of housing on the site. At the moment we are highlighting what would give the best capital receipt and at this stage that is all we need to do."

Once a definite date is set for the completion of the new integrated hospital to the north of the site likely to be open in the summer of 2005 potential developers will be invited to submit bids for purchasing the land.

Donald Roy, chairman of Wandsworth Community Health Council the NHS watchdog said he was reassured with what he heard at the meeting.

He said: "I fully accept the duty of the trust to achieve best value.

"It's also important in the light of how the wider community is likely to regard some of these issues that it is made clear that in the next two years the door is being kept open on key worker and affordable housing."

The plans for the new hospital and housing development can be viewed at the next open house meeting at Queen Mary's on March 19.

January 31, 2003 13:30