Brighton’s Royal Alex saved!
The Victorian Society has welcomed news that the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Brighton has been saved from demolition.
Last night Brighton and Hove councillors voted unanimously to approve a conversion scheme which incorporates the former children's hospital into a new housing development.
The developer, Taylor-Wimpey had earlier withdrawn an alternative application which would have seen the Royal Alex demolished.
'We have campaigned for this handsome and adaptable building over many years and it is wonderful news that it now has a viable future', said Heloise Brown, Conservation Advisor for the Victorian Society. 'The hospital is an important part of Brighton's heritage and it is right that its distinctive red brick and terracotta façade should be the focus of this new development.'
Standing in the Montpelier and Clifton Hill Conservation Area, the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Sick Children has been a familiar landmark on Dyke Road for well over 120 years. It is the work of Thomas Lainson, a local architect who also designed the Grade II*-listed synagogue on Middle Street.
Thursday 24 February, 2011
More recent item: Historic London pool restored
Earlier item: Concern over plans to demolish two Edwardian schools in London
