Calderstones: Have your say on 10-year masterplan for England's last learning disability hospital

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The public can have its say on a 10-year masterplan for the former Calderstones Hospital in Whalley.

The Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCft) acquired the 106-acre site – one of the NHS’ largest in the country – in April. Mersey Care Whalley, formerly known as Calderstones, was the last NHS hospital in England for people with learning disabilities.

The 223-bed long-stay hospital ceased operations as part of a review following the Winterbourne View care home abuse scandal. The Whalley unit has previously received heavy criticism from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after inspectors concluded there were “serious deficiencies” in the quality of care. They found poor cleanliness and hygiene on the wards, low levels of staffing and too many instances of patients being restrained in the face-down position.

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The trust will now breathe new life into the site by transforming it into a shared NHS and community space with the help of Building Design Partnership (BPD) and Deco Publique. The community is being invited to make suggestions for the future of the development over the next 10 years. A series of events will welcome people to the newly part-refurbished St Luke’s Church on the Whalley site for community activities and the opportunity to meet the design team. Dates will be announced in early January.

The partly refurbished St Luke’s Church on the former Calderstones site in Whalley.The partly refurbished St Luke’s Church on the former Calderstones site in Whalley.
The partly refurbished St Luke’s Church on the former Calderstones site in Whalley.

Ursula Martin, Chief Strategy and Improvement Officer at LSCft, said: “We are delighted to be at the stage whereby we can bring our vision of a shared NHS and community site to life, working alongside BDP, who, with the help of Deco Publique, will be our listening ear for the project over the next few months, really getting to know what the local community, people who use our services and wider potential partners would like to see.

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“We anticipate that the site will be made up of four zones, including NHS services. It has lots of beautiful green, outdoor space which is ideal for mental health recovery but also offers so many opportunities for communities, businesses and wider partnerships. It presents a fantastic opportunity to reimagine an NHS site and truly transform health through fostering connections and forging partnerships. The Whalley site is considered an unique opportunity to reimagine and redefine the use of public sector land and spaces, leading the transition towards a prevention-focused, community-oriented and health-creating NHS.

“As we move into this exciting first phase of engagement, we will be asking for lots of support to help us shape the future plans across some of the zones.”

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The partly refurbished St Luke’s Church on the former Calderstones site in Whalley.The partly refurbished St Luke’s Church on the former Calderstones site in Whalley.
The partly refurbished St Luke’s Church on the former Calderstones site in Whalley.

Ged Couser, Architect Principal at BDP, and based in their Manchester office, added: “The chance to collaborate with the Trust in the unique setting of the Ribble Valley is a fantastic opportunity. The brief called for a response to the Trust’s core themes, including research and innovation; therapeutic environments and nature; living well; community well-being and sustainability; as well as considering the site's past, present and future in all our thinking.

“As the core of our methodology, we will be working closely with the Trust, their colleagues, stakeholders, and partners as well as both the local business community and residents to ensure that our masterplan vision for the project represents their own.”

For more information or to get involved, contact [email protected].

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