Cane Hill Asylum - March 2009

[chelle]

Very interesting B...

I should also stress that there will be a major presence on site even after demolition has been completed. HCA are working to a long-term program that they estimate to take a further 15-20 years before the first new residents arrive, at which point we shall be in the next economic cycle (if you believe in Kondratieff Waves!)

Presence meaning what?And 15 to 20 years before we see new residents..surely not?Or am I missing something?
Stu

 

[Bryant]

... 'presence' as in the site will always have some form of activity taking place on it. HCA told me that it was going to be a 15-20 year build program - they may be making great progress on the demo side of things but they haven't even got planning permission yet! The public consultation has stalled at the halfway point, and it is my understanding that they are still courting potential developers. So 2025 looks fairly realistic for full completion of the project.

 

[lilli]

The sad story is that EP or the now HCA always considered Cane Hill as the thorn in the side of their "hospital sites programme" the unwanted site that they basically had to take on to get all the other juicy hospital redevelopment opportunities, closed at that time for excess of 15 years, stuck in the middle of the Green Belt and subject to major fires and a popular haunt for those "pesky picture takers" its fate was basically sealed when it appeared as number 30 of the 96 sites in their programme.

It was personally stated to me by a senior EP employee (I wont name names but I think some of you may be able to guess) that if Cane Hill got overall listing status that EP would have to wash its hands and walk away, but that was not to be so they really wasted no time in tendering and securing the demolition contractor and getting them on site; which is strange given the current financial climate, where demo and building work is drying up by the day and future redevelopment projects are being shelved!! Also I find it rather strange that in all of their redevelopment literature that they state that the place is riddled with asbestos as far as to the point of not letting the archivist for the area in any wards to retrieve any thing of interest but they only place I have seen anything resembling ARCA recomendations was in the disposal of the new boiler house! The only way they seem to be disposing of waste materials is burning and if CH is as asbestos stuffed as EP say then they have to be burning the asbestos too! .... Now I know that doesn't change the situation of Cane Hill, but it does seem to me to add up to a "get rid quick" scheme as it is easier to deal with an almost levelled field than any other option.

* grumble grumble *

 

[urbtography]

The sad story is that EP or the now HCA always considered Cane Hill as the thorn in the side of their "hospital sites programme" the unwanted site that they basically had to take on to get all the other juicy hospital redevelopment opportunities, closed at that time for excess of 15 years, stuck in the middle of the Green Belt and subject to major fires and a popular haunt for those "pesky picture takers" its fate was basically sealed when it appeared as number 30 of the 96 sites in their programme.

It was personally stated to me by a senior EP employee (I wont name names but I think some of you may be able to guess) that if Cane Hill got overall listing status that EP would have to wash its hands and walk away, but that was not to be so they really wasted no time in tendering and securing the demolition contractor and getting them on site; which is strange given the current financial climate, where demo and building work is drying up by the day and future redevelopment projects are being shelved!! Also I find it rather strange that in all of their redevelopment literature that they state that the place is riddled with asbestos as far as to the point of not letting the archivist for the area in any wards to retrieve any thing of interest but they only place I have seen anything resembling ARCA recomendations was in the disposal of the new boiler house! The only way they seem to be disposing of waste materials is burning and if CH is as asbestos stuffed as EP say then they have to be burning the asbestos too! .... Now I know that doesn't change the situation of Cane Hill, but it does seem to me to add up to a "get rid quick" scheme as it is easier to deal with an almost levelled field than any other option.

* grumble grumble *

But that guy that sells cane hill stuff on ebay was allowed to go around the buildings collecting things??? Seems a very weird thing not to let the archivist in.

 

[lilli]

But that guy that sells cane hill stuff on ebay was allowed to go around the buildings collecting things??? Seems a very weird thing not to let the archivist in.

The ebay guy is let in with the permission of the demo contractors, the archivist was denied by EP bods. I too obtained something from the demo contractors and was unable to do so anymore when EP found out who Squibbs had let in!

 

[TheLondoners]

How do these people sleep at night, knowing what they have done to such a piece of history? You could understand if this happened in the sixties, but now, surely not. Who can afford a house anyway?

Please remember that the Cane Hill buildings looked good on the outside but were totally rotten through on the inside with dry rot etc.

 

[james.s]

As for Squibb sleeping at night, im sure they sleep fine. They're just doing their jobs, right.

They are a bunch of heartless nutters, but I agree that they are just doing their job. It must be fun for someone who is not interesting in history. English Heritage will regret not listing it when they see the usual bleak housing estate that will be built there. It will probably be called maple Crescent or something. As usual.

 

[TheLondoners]

They are a bunch of heartless nutters, but I agree that they are just doing their job. It must be fun for someone who is not interesting in history. English Heritage will regret not listing it when they see the usual bleak housing estate that will be built there. It will probably be called maple Crescent or something. As usual.

When will you all realize that Cane Hill was rotten, thouroughly rotten, inside and out. Dry rot, wet rot structural defects etc..If it had not have been demolished, it would have fell down by itself. English Heritage simply don't have the money nor resources to correct things on this scale. Why English Heritage anyway, why not have a go at the National Trust as well.

 

[lilli]

Why English Heritage anyway, why not have a go at the National Trust as well.

Because English Heritage is who decides on the listing of buildings! ...

 

[TheLondoners]

Yes, I know that, but what I meant was........The National Trust also protect and open to the public over 300 historic houses and gardens and 49 industrial monuments and mills as well as English Heritage but don't worry about it.