PLANS have been submitted for almost 60 homes on the site of the old Devizes Community Hospital site.

It comes after the new £10.9m Health Centre on Marshall Road nears completion. 

Planners want to redevelop the old hospital site, which has now "fallen into disuse". 

READ MORE: Construction of the Devizes Health Centre on track to finish

NHS Property Services remains the freehold owner of the former Community Hospital site and is preparing an outline planning application for around 59 new homes and green open spaces. 

A commercial unit for potential café, restaurant or retail use is also proposed within the outline plans. 

Prior to submitting an outline planning application later in the summer, NHS Property Services is seeking the views and suggestions of the Devizes community through a pre-application consultation website.

An outline planning application establishes the principle and broad parameters of redevelopment. Subject to outline planning consent being granted by Wiltshire Council, there would then be further consultation with the Devizes community on the details of the redevelopment, including design, materials and final layout

The online consultation is also being complemented by a public drop-in exhibition of the emerging plans to be held at The Cheese Hall, Devizes Town Hall, St. John’s Street, on Tuesday, July 12 between 2pm and 7:30pm.

This will provide people who are interested but do not have access to the internet with an opportunity to still view the plans, as well as for members of the community to meet the team of consultants working to prepare the planning application.  

A spokesperson for NHS Property Services said: “With the old Community Hospital site now falling into disuse as services relocate to the fantastic new Integrated Care Centre on Marshall Road, the opportunity exists to create a new neighbourhood of homes and green open space on the banks of the Kennet and Avon Canal. 

“We are mindful of the contribution the historic red-brick hospital buildings fronting New Park Road make to the character of the Devizes Conservation Area and it is our intention to retain and restore these as part of the development proposals.” 

The online pre-application consultation on the outline planning application runs until midday on Friday, July 22.  

The development of the Community Hospital site is not intended to take place until well after all services have relocated and become established at the Integrated Care Centre to make there is no disruption to provision for patients and the community.