City

Oxford hospital grounds for redevelopment.

04 Jul, 2006

The Oxford Mental Health Trust is seeking planning permission to build homes for key workers and research facilities on the land adjacent to the Warneford and Park Hospitals in Headington. The Trust, which currently pays a capital charge on the unused sites, hopes to raise funds for modernizing patient facilities in the historic hospital buildings. Five separate planning applications have been submitted to the Oxford city council for development of the Warneford Meadow and the Park site as well as for the adjacent football pitch. While the council has the final say on the use of the land, the proposals submitted correspond to the guidelines set out in the Oxford local plans for 2001-2016. Residents had a chance to view the extent of the redevelopment at an open day held at the Warneford Hospital earlier this year. If the plan goes ahead, Headington will see the loss of one of its last open green spaces.