HILLINGDON UNITARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN - London Borough ...

Mount Vernon Hospital, Northwood
15.48 Rationalisation and redevelopment of some of the existing buildings is being undertaken. In light
of PPG(2) revised (1995), a planning brief will be prepared for any future redevelopment proposals.
St. Vincents Hospital, Northwood Hills
15.49 St. Vincent's Hospital is located within the Green Belt on the edge of the residential area of
Northwood Hills. It has an area of approximately 8.17 hectares and occupies two distinct plots on either
side of Wiltshire Lane. The relief of the site is such that the land rises steeply to the crest of Haste Hill to
the north. The change in levels and generally elevated level of the site means that the hospital occupies a
prominent position both locally and from more distant views. Much of the hospital comprises old buildings
which are inadequate to serve current medical purposes, and their condition is such that the hospital needs
to undertake a substantial development programme to replace and modernise buildings. Given these
conditions, and taking account of the Borough's housing needs identified in Chapter 7 of this plan, the
Council regards obsolete buildings as suitable for redevelopment for health and residential purposes, and
wishes to act in partnership with the Hospital Trust in securing a phased redevelopment of the site.
Supplementary Planning Guidance is to be prepared which will have regard to advice set out in PPG2 -
Annex C and would seek to ensure that redevelopment had less visual impact on the openness of the Green
Belt than existing development. In landscape terms, there is a substantial advantage in achieving the
removal of buildings from the top of Haste Hill with the concentration of hospital development on the
western part of the site and residential development being located near the foot of the hill. The site is
identified as a major developed site (see Table 3.3 of this Plan) for the purposes of PPG2 Annex C.
PR26 REDEVELOPMENT OF LAND AT ST. VINCENT’S HOSPITAL, NORTHWOOD HILLS,
AS DEFINED ON THE PROPOSALS MAP, FOR HEALTH AND RESIDENTIAL PURPOSES IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE PRINCIPLES SET OUT IN PPG2 (ANNEX C) SHALL BE
REGARDED AS APPROPRIATE. IN PARTICULAR, PROPOSALS SHOULD:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
(vii)
FACILITATE THE OPERATIONAL AND DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS OF
THE HOSPITAL;
HAVE LESS VISUAL IMPACT ON THE OPENNESS OF THE GREEN BELT THAN
EXISTING DEVELOPMENT;
NOT OCCUPY A LARGER GROUND AREA THAN EXISTING BUILDINGS ON THE
SITE;
NOT EXCEED THE HEIGHT OF EXISTING BUILDINGS ON THE SITE;
BE OF A HIGH QUALITY OF DESIGN WHICH MAINTAINS AND UTILISES
EXISTING LANDSCAPE FEATURES;
HAVE REGARD TO THE COMMUNITY’S NEED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING;
AND
HAVE REGARD TO THE NATURE CONSERVATION VALUE OF THE SITE,
PARTICULARLY THAT OF THE MEADOW ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF
WILTSHIRE LANE WHICH IS A BOROUGH GRADE II SITE OF NATURE
CONSERVATION IMPORTANCE.
London Borough of Hillingdon Unitary Development Plan