Several new planning documents have been added to a planning application submitted by Bexley Council to redevelop the former Bexley Maternity Hospital building on Erith Road and build several new buildings on the site.
The plans were first revealed in January 2024 with the initial proposal aiming to deliver 117 homes, made up of 28 one-bedroom apartments, 74 two-bedroom apartments, seven three-bedroom apartments and eight three-bedroom houses. 17 of these units would be affordable and 12 of them would be wheelchair accessible.
The number of proposed homes has now increased to 121, with 21 one-bedroom apartments, 60 two-bedroom apartments, 32 three-bedroom apartments and eight three-bedroom houses making up the total.
18 of these units would be affordable and 13 would be wheelchair accessible. This revised unit mix comes in response to targets set out in the Bexley Local Plan.
The apartments would be contained within the refurbished hospital building as well as three new six-storey tower blocks to the south.
The eight two-storey terraced houses would be located in a row to the west of the hospital as per the original plans.
Key design changes in the updated plans include increasing the height of one block from five to six storeys, re-positioning another block to retain a prominent cedar tree to the south west of the site and removing vehicular access from the rear of the former hospital building in order to “maximise soft landscape” adjacent to the ancient woodland of Bursted Wood to the north.
The neo-Georgian style hospital building with “subtle Art Deco influences” dates back to 1937 and cost £31,000 to build, according to documents from heritage consultants Fuller Long.
The hospital has reportedly been closed since 1978, and has served more recently as offices for the Bexley Clinical Commissioning Group.
The façade of the hospital building would be retained and restored as part of the development, with the derelict medical facility making way for a mix of 12 different flats.
The GP surgery on the site is intended to remain under the plans, with the updated planning documents outlining how land will be retained in order to allow for the potential extension of the surgery in the future.
The practice opened in 1986 and sits to the east of the former maternity building.
In future, Bexley Council hopes to deliver the full 180 homes on the site it has outlined within the Bexley Local Plan.
A building known as ‘North House’ to the south east of the site is currently in use as emergency temporary accommodation for the homeless.
The land on which North House lies is currently under different ownership. Bexley planners hope to purchase this land in the future, demolish the current structure and build a three storey block and five storey block that would contain the remaining 49 homes.
