A partnership comprising the Homes and Communities Agency, Galliford Try and Home Group will transform the disused and derelict St. George’s Hospital in Morpeth to create 374 mixed tenure homes.

Neil Graham, head of area – North East with the HCA, said:  “This start on site is great news for the local community.

“We have worked with Galliford Try and Linden Homes on many schemes over the years and we know that they will provide the local community with the homes that they need.

“The development will make excellent use of the existing site to ensure that the new homes will complement the homes that already exist in the town and by working with Home Group will ensure that there are homes suitable for everyone.”

Work on the 374 properties will take place in three phases.  The first will see 121 homes built, of which 36 will be affordable with 22 available for rent and 14 for shared ownership.

The old Victorian hospital, which originally opened in 1859, is now in a very poor state of repair and has been closed to the public since 1995.

Plans include incorporating some of the existing building into the new development if structurally possible.”

The proposal was given approval by Northumberland County Council’s planning committee in March following public consultation – the feedback from which was used to inform the design of the scheme.