St James Hospital, Portsmouth

A planning and listed building application were submitted for the redevelopment of the former hospital, which had endured decades of neglect and decay.

The listed buildings and parkland, including a chapel, were to be retained, restored and opened to the public for the first time. New homes were proposed to be sensitively located in the grounds, providing a total of 209 dwellings.

The proposals not only involved heritage and design matters, but landscape, townscape, viability, ecology and off-site ecological mitigation to the Special Protection Area.

Despite the regeneration and wider benefits, the City Council refused the application and the scheme considered at a Public Inquiry through the appeal process.

The appeal was successfully won and planning and listed building approvals secured. The scheme is currently under construction.