Taylor Wimpey, the UK’s largest homebuilder was appointed by English Partnerships in March this year to transform the site at the edge of Goosnargh village near Preston.

The development will include new eco-friendly homes, employment space, a site for a new primary school and community/recreation facilities.

Planning permission is already in place, but following its appointment Taylor Wimpey and English Partnerships carried out further extensive consultation with local communities and stakeholders on their proposals for the site.

As a result of the feedback the new planning application proposes increasing the overall number of homes to 650 in order to raise the number of affordable homes from 50 to 72 and to preserve more of the St Luke’s building, which will be converted into apartments.

The new planning application also proposes a centrally located and accessible sports and leisure facilities, including a multi-sports area for young people.

Bob Pickthall, divisional managing director of Taylor Wimpey, said: “Local people responded very positively to our proposals to regenerate the Whittingham Hospital site and provide high-quality and eco-friendly new homes. We will continue to work with English Partnerships and Preston City Council to secure planning permission and move towards providing a sustainable community where people will be proud to live.”

The Whittingham Hospital site, is one of the largest in English Partnerships’ Hospital Sites Programme. The nationwide programme aims to bring 96 redundant hospital sites back into productive use.  Totalling 1,600 ha of land, the sites offer a mixture of development opportunities and will make a significant contribution to national regeneration agency, English Partnerships’ objective to make the best use of surplus public sector land.

It is expected that Preston City Council will consider the revised planning application at the end of 2007 or in early 2008.