THE former Mansfield General Hospital is set to be demolished and redeveloped after Mansfield District Council successfully negotiated its sale and purchased the site.
The 1.3 hectare site, on West Hill Drive, comprises a wide variety of buildings, the oldest of which dates back to before 1900.
The premises have been unoccupied for almost 20 years and consequently the site has deteriorated.
Negotiations with the owner have been ongoing for a number of years. The council assisted with negotiations to sell the property and a detailed planning application was approved for 211 apartments in December 2007.
However the owner didn't complete the sale and the planning permission expired.
The council had considered acquiring the site through a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) but has been able to successfully negotiate with the owner to buy the site without the need for a CPO.
Mansfield Mayor Tony Egginton said: "For years I have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to try to resolve the issue of the former General Hospital site. Working alongside local councillors, council officers and West Hill area residents, I have pressed and pressed the owner of the site to make good on his own plans to push through his redevelopment proposals.
"Unfortunately he has not been able to bring forward the redevelopment and, for that reason, I was fully supportive of the motion to use the council's powers to acquire the site and bring to an end the years of misery for those living in the shadows of what has become a derelict eyesore.
"Thankfully, the owner has agreed to sell the site to us and we will now move forward to demolish the existing buildings and design a scheme that will enhance the area."
Councillor Martin Lee added: "For too long, the site has been a blight on the community.
"By acquiring the site, the council can now make real progress in removing this blot on the landscape and redeveloping the site.
"There is some way to go until the redevelopment will be complete but this is a huge leap forward and we can now focus on working towards a development we can all be proud of."
The council will now tender for the contract of work to demolish the existing buildings and prepare the land for development.
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