A consultation into the multi-million pound redevelopment of the North Wales Hospital site in Denbigh has been launched.
The massive site - once a hospital for hundreds of people with psychiatric illness - closed in 1995.
It has been empty since then and the derelict site has become a target for arsonists and vandals.
Now Ruthin based developer Jones Bros has launched consultation on their £30m+ scheme to provide 300 new homes which they say will provide a £75 million boost to the local economy.
It will also reclaim and restore the central section of the magnificent Victorian Grade Two star listed building which opened in 1848 and which was at the heart of a complex which at one time housed 1,500 patients and employed 700 staff.
Jones Bros have begun a Pre-application Communication Consultation ahead of submitting a planning application to Denbighshire County Council for the first phase of the redevelopment.
The intention is for the U-shaped central section with its impressive façade to be restored and turned into residential apartments complemented by a mix of services which could include shops, restaurants and a gym for local residents.
The development of the site is expected to take 10 years and to start with a clearing operation which will include the safe removal of asbestos and the restoration of the 36-acre site’s attractive woods and parkland.
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Helen Morgan, of Jones Bros, who is overseeing the project, said: “We have worked closely with Denbighshire County Council on the redevelopment of the site which has important and historic connections with the town of Denbigh and the wider Vale of Clwyd.
“It is our intention to create a development that is sympathetic to the area and that restores the vital links between this historic site and the town.
“We estimate the project will inject £75 million into the local economy and create jobs on the site and in the wider economy as well as creating high quality housing which will blend into the environment.”
Jones Bros have begun work on a new, purpose-built training centre on the Hospital site which will employ 20 people and which will replace their existing training centre in Ruthin.
Around 60 apprentices a year will be trained there while the company’s 340 staff will receive training to update their skills.
The company estimate that the shops and facilities on the site will provide up to 40 additional full and part-time jobs.
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The development will also include modern utilities and service links including fast digital infrastructure will be installed which is necessary to the economy and quality of life of a modern nation.
■ There will be a public consultation opportunity at Denbigh Library on Monday, December 2, from 1pm to 7pm.