Former cottage hospital restored as affordable housing and community hub to benefit the wellbeing of the local community
Locally listed
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Instigated to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee of 1897, Southwold Cottage Hospital opened in 1903 and was financed through donations and subscriptions. The building was designed by local architect, Thomas Key. The simple two-storey central gabled building, with wings either side, features faux timber-framing to the gables, tiled roofs and wooden sash windows. Noted in the Southwold Conservation Area Appraisal as making a positive contribution to the area's character and appearance, the hospital is locally listed. Over the years, it was extended to meet changing health needs, transferring to the newly created National Health Service (NHS) in 1948. Following its closure in 2015, the building’s future was uncertain - demolition and commercial residential redevelopment were suggested. In response, SouthGen was established to identify an alternative. SouthGen formed a development partnership with Hastoe Housing Association to buy the land and redevelop the site as affordable housing, owned and managed by Hastoe, and a community hub, owned and managed by SouthGen. The design of the scheme included removing all the later additions to the original building, restoring the historic façade and roof, and then constructing an entirely new building inside. The hub on the ground floor, which was completed in April 2022, includes a cafe, a children's nursery, co-working space and Southwold Library. Suffolk County Council also plans to relocate its popular local library from another site where the lease is due to expire. On the first floor of the building, there are four social housing flats and five shared ownership dwellings, including a pair of attached cottages, a flat, a disability bungalow and a detached cottage. Southwold has a justified reputation as a delightful seaside tourist destination, but this has led to imbalances in the local economy. The town has the highest proportion of second homes in the country – nearly 60% – creating an acute shortage of affordable housing, while a high proportion of local jobs are seasonal and low-paid, with the employees living out of town. SouthGen's community hub is providing new jobs, training and educational programmes, and affordable childcare. The library's future has been secured for the next generation and the co-working space will support local people to establish new businesses, while also enabling second homeowners and commuters to spend more time in Southwold through remote working. Additionally, Hastoe's share of the project has delivered much-needed affordable homes. Overall, this project has helped to make Southwold a better place to live and work. A Project Development Grant from the Architectural Heritage Fund helped SouthGen to organise and promote its community share offer, enabling them to host it on the online Crowdfunder platform and to create publicity materials. In addition, the grant also allowed them to gain specialist legal advice that secured HMRC's agreement that share purchases would qualify for tax relief under the Seed Enterprise Investment and Enterprise Investment Schemes. As a result, the share offer substantially exceeded its target. About SouthGen The Southwold and Waveney Valley Regeneration Society Limited (SouthGen) is a charitable community benefit society. Formed to secure the future of the hospital site in community ownership, their mission is to create a brighter future for their town. Their development partner, Hastoe Housing Association, is a specialist in rural housing which seeks to work with community partners. The Southwold project was highly commended in the 2019 National Housing Awards Best Small Scheme in Planning and was the winner of the Best Rural Community Partnership award in the Inside Housing Development Awards 2019. Home - SouthGen, Brighter Futures Home | The Old Hospital (oldhospitalhub.co.uk) AHF Funding Project Development Grant - £14,464 (2019) This grant was made possible by funding from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport. External Funding Community Donations - £55,000 Power to Change Community Share Booster Programme - £10,000 Access Reach Fund - £14,981 Plunkett Foundation - Expertise Prince’s Trust Brick Grant - Expertise Community Action Suffolk - Expertise Suffolk County Council Locality Grant - £2,000 Community Shares - £498,000 Power to Change Community Share Booster Programme Award - £100,000 Power to Change Community Business Fund - £246,000 New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) - £229,000 Southwold Trust - £20,000 Director’s Loan - £65,000, subsequently converted to a gift. Southwold Trust - £60,000 Suffolk Community Foundation and the Hopkins Family Trust - £80,000 Big Issue Invest - £75,000 June 2022 |
