This website consultation outlines details of Creare Dartmouth Ltd’s proposals for the sensitive redevelopment of the former Dartmouth Cottage Hospital site. Our vision is to restore and celebrate the historic building, improve its setting, and create a vibrant mixed-use development that continues to serve the community. We are seeking your views on the emerging proposals before submitting a planning application to South Hams District Council.
The Site
The site is centrally located within Dartmouth, with frontage onto South Embankment. Mansion House Street runs east to west, dividing the site. It comprises the former Dartmouth Cottage Hospital, including the original red brick building and a later 1970s extension to the south, which is connected to the main building at first-floor level. A limited amount of parking is currently provided to the front of the property.
The Proposed Development
The proposed development comprises the comprehensive redevelopment of the former Dartmouth Cottage Hospital site, including the demolition of the later extension, the restoration and conversion of the historic hospital building, and the construction of a new four-storey building to provide residential accommodation to the upper floors. Community uses are proposed at ground floor level of both buildings to ensure the site continues to serve the local area.
More detail is provided for the scheme in the download section.
Celebrating the Historic Hospital
The original hospital building is an important part of Dartmouth’s heritage. Our proposals place its restoration at the heart of the scheme.
We will retain, restore and convert the historic building, carefully repairing and enhancing its architectural features while bringing it back into active use. Unsympathetic later additions will be removed, in particular the circa 1970s extension, significantly improving the building’s setting and allowing its historic character to be fully appreciated once again.
Whole Life Carbon
The extension performs so poorly in energy efficiency terms that demolishing the extension and building a new structure, performs better in terms of whole life carbon compared to refurbishing the extension. The new building would be built to modern standards and would use less energy than a refurbished option, even when taking into account embodied carbon within the demolished extension.
A Complementary New Building
To support the long-term future of the site, we are proposing a new four-storey building positioned alongside but clearly detached from the original hospital. This separation improves the setting of the historic structure while creating a coherent layout across the site.
The new building will be contemporary in design, but respectful of the scale, character and materials of the surrounding area. Its positioning opens up views of the original hospital and creates a clearer, more legible arrangement of buildings and spaces.
Improved Public Realm
The proposals will also deliver a more welcoming and accessible environment. It is our intention that Mansion House Street becomes a more open, welcoming and safer environment for pedestrians . These changes will strengthen connections through the site and help integrate it more successfully with the wider town.
Community and Residential Uses
The ground floors of both buildings are intended to maintain a strong community focus, with space suitable for:
- Health and social care facilities and services (Use Class F)
- Commercial uses (Use Class E), such as small-scale retail, workspace or local services
This accords with the adopted Dartmouth Neighbourhood Plan Policy HW1 that requires a balance to be struck between community uses and the residential market.
Residential accommodation is proposed on the upper floors. These new homes will help secure the long-term restoration of the historic building, bring renewed activity to the site, and contribute to Dartmouth’s housing supply in a sustainable town centre location. Without the proposed residential uses, the restoration of the historic building and proposed community buildings would not be viable due to the cost of the works involved.
In accordance with Neighbourhood Plan Policy H4, the residential units would be for principal residence use only, i.e. not for second homes. This would be controlled through a planning condition should planning permission be granted for the development.
Our Approach
Our aim is to deliver a high-quality, heritage-led development that restores and safeguards the former hospital, enhances its setting, provides valuable community space, creates sensitively designed new homes, and improves the public realm for everyone.
Next Steps
Please take time to review the detailed proposals in the download section and provide any comments using the feedback form in the download section by the 7th April to the following email address: planning.exeter@carneysweeney.co.uk
We welcome your feedback on these emerging proposals and the following questions:
- Do you support the principle of restoring and re-using the former hospital building?
- What aspects of the hospital are most important to you?
- Do you agree with the removal of the 1970s extension to improve the setting of the original building? Why or why not?
- What types of community uses would you most like to see within the restored hospital building?
- Are there any specific health or social care services currently lacking in Dartmouth that this site could help provide?
- How important is it to you that the ground floors remain in active community or publicly accessible use?
- Do you support the principle of introducing new homes on the site to help secure the restoration of the historic building?
- Are there particular types of housing you feel are most needed in Dartmouth?
- How could the site better connect with the surrounding town?
- Overall, how do you feel about the emerging proposals?
- Is there anything else you would like us to consider?
Any personal information provided as part of this consultation will be managed in accordance with our privacy policy.