St Bartholomew’s, a former hospital in Rochester, has been sold to MCR Property Group for redevelopment, raising funds for reinvestment into the NHS estate and freeing up land for more local homes to be built.
In June 2016, St Bartholomew’s was deemed ‘surplus to requirements for the delivery of modern healthcare services’ by Medway CCG, and the site has been vacant since September that year. As the site’s owner, NHS Property Services is responsible for securing the highest value for surplus estates so that capital receipts can be reinvested back into the NHS estate to enable excellent patient care.
MCR Property Group bought St Bartholomew’s Hospital for £2.65 m in October 2018. The property is one of 30 developments that joins MCR Property Group’s £2 billionresidential development portfolio. The Manchester-based developer is finalising plans for a £30 million mixed-tenure residential development of new homes, ranging from one-bedroom apartments to three bedroom houses. The sales arm for MCR Property Group, Regency Residential, will oversee and deliver the project.
MCR said: “All new properties will be sensitively incorporated into the picturesque grounds, including the conversion of the main hospital building and the restoration of various grade II listed features.” David Thurgar, senior transaction manager at NHS Property Services, said: “The sale of a site like St Bartholomew’s not only raises significant capital receipts to put straight towards the improvement of the NHS estate, but also makes space for new homes on a site which is a piece of local history.”
