ASTON HALL

Against strong opposition from residents and patients' families, Derbyshire Mental Health Services NHS Trust plans to shut Aston Hall Hospital, Aston on Trent. Nick Grace, team leader for Nottingham estate agents Saville's, which is managing the sale, said, "Subject to planning permission, I'm sure it could sell for significantly more than £2m." A spokesperson from South Derbyshire District Council said, "We would prefer the site to be retained for employment use, but residential use would not be out of the question."

Most of the profit from the sale will go to pay back a £1.9m loan, borrowed from the Trent Strategic Health Authority, which is the Department of Health's administrative arm. The money was loaned to fund the relocation of the hospital's 54 patients, who have severe learning difficulties. The trust put the site up for sale after it failed to reach an agreement with a residents' group keen to take over the running of its leisure centre.

The trust approached the group, Recreation in Aston, but meetings proved fruitless. Group member Barbara James said, "I find it amazing. We were very, very disappointed that after 15 months of talks the trust pulled the rug from under our feet." The sale will mean the leisure centre will be lost, complete with its hydrotherapy pool, sensory room and hall, built as part of a £4m revamp in 1994. The pool is the only one of its kind in Southern Derbyshire. It has hoists to help lower people into the temperature-controlled water, and is ideal for keeping severely disabled people's limbs supple.

Dr Christian Murray-Leslie, a consultant in rehabilitation medicine at Derbyshire Royal Infirmary, said, "It would be scandalous if the pool was to go. The trust should keep the leisure centre and develop the rest of the site." A trust spokesman said, "The trust has a duty to maximise its return on the disposal of the land, which is surplus to NHS requirements. The proceeds will be redirected into patient care. The pool is a valuable facility and we are aware there is a need to replace it."

The site of Aston Hall Hospital is being offered for sale by informal tender for alternative use. The site has a existing building footprint of 55,576 sq ft which South Derbyshire District Council would ideally like to see taken up for alternative employment use. Roger Freeston, director at FPD Savills Nottingham office, who is marketing the site said, "This is a substantial site and an increasingly rare opportunity, occupying an enviable rural setting with a south facing aspect and woodland to two sides with recreational playing fields to further complement the site."

He added, "The sale of this site is part of a phased policy within the NHS as facilities are re-evaluated and relocated where appropriate. Land of this size and calibre is much needed for potential commercial and residential use and this site should appeal to a number of potential purchasers and developers." Aston Hospital has an attractive residential approach and occupies a strategic position being located just six miles of the centre of Derby, four miles from the A50 and five miles from junction 24 of the M1. The site would lend itself to a number of alternative uses, including residential development, subject to approval by the planners for appropriate change of use.

However, the agents point out that it should be noted that the planners have indicated that priority would be given for employment use or live/work units with take up of the existing buildings on the site which include six former residential buildings together with kitchens and recreational facilities. Aston Hall has a long history dating back to the early 1600s and was used as a auxillary hospital in the first World War. The property was sold to Nottingham Corporation in 1924 and has served the community as a specialist hospital for many years.

We write to record our great concern that the closure of Aston Hall's excellent, well-used and purpose-built hydrotherapy pool appears imminent. This may happen without any adequate or suitable alternative provision having been identified. A final decision to close the pool to all users has not been announced. However, a recent letter sent to our physiotherapist colleagues at Derby Mental Health Trust (which provides services for people with learning disabilities) has informed them that the facility will be closed to people living in the community, the majority of its users, from December 2004.

This would seem to be a clear indication that the pool will be closed once the remaining residents of Aston Hall Hospital move into the community. This closure will inevitably lead to deterioration in the health, mobility and physical functioning of some of the most vulnerable adults and children in Derby and Derbyshire, who are unable to speak up for themselves or to protest at this lost of amenity. Deterioration in physical functioning in some people will, over time, lead to loss of independence and increased pain.

There is also likely to be an increased need for surgical intervention and therefore a greater cost to providers of care. This would be on top of the dreadful waste arising from the destruction of a superb modern facility. We would urge those in social services and health who are involved in commissioning services for people with severe disabilities to make the replacement of the Aston Hall hydrotherapy facility the highest priority. Even with the best will in the world, the availability of funding, an appropriate site and inter-agency co-operation, there is likely to be a gap of several years before the pool could be replaced, which could be catastrophic for some service users.
Nicola Brain, Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine.
Tony Henry, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon.
Richard Morton, Consultant Paediatrician.
Christian Murray-Leslie, Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine.
Margaret Phillips, Senior Lecturer in Rehabilitation Medicine.
Greg Summers, Consultant Rheumatologist.
Christopher Ward, Professor in Rehabilitation Medicine.

Plans to close Aston Hall Hospital, in Aston on Trent, which cared for people with learning disabilities, were announced in 1998 amid fierce opposition from locals who wanted a village community to care for the 58 patients already on the site. Wilson Care Resources has submitted plans to build a care home for the elderly on the site. Ben Blowers, agent for the company, said, "The application is for permission in principle to build a residential care scheme. It is quite a large scheme." Planners have previously said they would prefer the existing buildings on the site to be retained, but the application includes the demolition of the buildings and the hydrotherapy pool.

Mr Blowers added, "My client can use the site for healthcare purposes but we have to have new buildings on it. The existing buildings are solid but their internal design is terrible. The conversion costs would be much more than building new buildings." He said the care home would occupy part of the 3.2-acre site and that he might be asked by his client to sell off the rest of the site. Susan Winter, spokeswoman for Campaign by Residents of Aston Against Shutting Hospital, said, "A care home is probably in line with what we would like to see." (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph)

Those living nearby have sent 34 letters of objection to the district council. Others objecting include the Weston-on-Trent and Aston-on-Trent Parish Councils and Save Aston Village Environment group. South Derbyshire MP Mark Todd has also asked for information. Vera Shaw, chairman of Weston-on-Trent Parish Council, said, "We feel that those buildings should be retained, or that the development should be rebuilt in the original foot-prints, which according to the plans will not happen. And we don't want any opening in the planning permission that would allow residential buildings instead."

There are also concerns about the kind of people who may live there, and that the plans are not in keeping with the area. If the scheme is given the go-ahead, the site, on Maple Drive, which consists of about 12 buildings including six wards, a catering block and a therapy pool, will be demolished to make way for the new buildings. These units will be split into four separate care units and two linked blocks over three floors. Mike Narbett, director at Redline Planning, the developer's agents, denied there was a chance of general housing on the site. (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph, Jun /06)