Epsom Hospitals Cluster Sites, St Ebbas and West Park

Role: Masterplanning Architecture and Landscape Architecture

St Ebbas and West Park Hospitals are two of three sites incorporated in the Epsom Hospitals Cluster competition run by the Homes and Communities Agency (formerly English Partnerships) the national regeneration agency, and its consortium development joint venture partner Crest Nicholson and Linden Homes.

The redevelopment of the former psychiatric hospitals in Epsom, Surrey, provides 322 homes at St Ebbas (including 100 affordable units) and 365 homes at West Park (including 149 affordable units). As part of the commitment to design and build the development to a high environmental standard, 20 percent of energy will be generated from onsite renewable sources.

At St Ebbas, the grade II Victorian water tower and the original administration building have been  sympathetically restored and converted to provide a historic reference to the development. The architecture for the new-build houses and apartment buildings is contemporary and responds to the high aspirations of the English Partnerships Development Brief and the Quality and Price Standards.

West Park Hospital is considered to be one of the best surviving examples of the cluster, based on the classic horseshoe shaped (or echelon format) asylum design. The site has thus been designated a Conservation Area and the distinctive water tower has been granted Grade II listed building status. The new houses and apartments will be more traditional in character than St Ebbas responding to the Edwardian character of the retained buildings. The magnificent landscape creates a green backdrop to the whole development and includes a series of 'airing courts' containing mature tree planting and attractive timber and glass pavilion buildings also to be retained.

PRP have secured reserved matters approval, and listed building consent on both sites. Our scheme develops upon a masterplan by others that were granted outline planning approval and forms part of Epsom & Ewell Borough Council's development brief for all the hospitals.