26th August 2008
Charity Welcomes Richmond Council's Planning Brief
On 13th August 2008 Richmond Council agreed the adoption of a planning brief for the Royal Star & Garter Home including Ancaster House as a supplementary planning document.
The Royal Star & Garter has been providing quality nursing and therapeutic care for disabled ex-Service men and women since 1916. Its present home at the top of Richmond Hill was purpose-built for the Charity, and was opened by Queen Mary and King George V in 1924. The service provided by the Charity has changed dramatically since its World War One origins and the home is no longer a suitable environment for providing modern care. This, combined with the expensive upkeep of the building, has led the Charity to decide that the only way to safeguard the future of its beneficiaries is to move to modern purpose-built facilities. Identifying an appropriate site within the Borough of Richmond has proved challenging, despite an extensive search over a three-year period. Fortunately an excellent site just outside the Borough, opposite Hampton Court station has been found and, subject to planning, the Charity hopes to relocate to a new home on this site in 2011.
However, it should be stressed that the Richmond building is not currently for sale, and will not be put on the market until the Charity receives planning permission for a new home for local veterans. The proceeds from the sale of the Richmond Home and the Charity's ancillary building, Ancaster House, will be used to fund its development programme to build new care homes for disabled ex-Service people.
The Charity's Chief Executive, Lynn McDougall, says: "As a national charity The Royal Star & Garter has a duty of care to its current and future residents to make the best use of its assets, and is reliant on the proceeds from the sale of its buildings to fund its future care homes. The Charity Commission also requires us under Charity Law to maximise income from the sale of our buildings. However, we are also keen to find a buyer that will respect the rich history and local prominence of the listed buildings and maintain them for years to come".
The Charity appointed a team of specialist consultants to advise on the operational and financial viability of potential new uses for the home. This team included Sidell Gibson Architects, DPP Heritage, DP9 planning consultants, Savills Commercial and Residential, and Steer Davies Gleave transport consultants. The outcome of this extensive research was shared with Richmond Council officers whilst the brief was being developed.
Lynn McDougall continues: "We welcome the planning brief and believe it provides flexibility for a range of uses to be considered in the future. This flexibility is important as it would be disastrous if the home was left unsold and unoccupied because no viable use could be achieved under the terms of the brief. Additionally, if a short-term use or a use with an economically uncertain future took occupation, there is a greater likelihood of the building not being maintained to a standard commensurate to its status and prominent location. We would like to think that we have been a good neighbour for the past 100 years, and we hope that whoever follows is an equally good fit".