Update on Accrington Victoria Hospital site

Plans to regenerate the former Accrington Victoria Hospital site were revealed today with firm commitments as to what local people could expect to see in the coming weeks and months. 

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT) announced it would move services out of Accrington Victoria Community Hospital (AVCH) in September 2024 because it was no longer safe for patients or colleagues.

The Trust, which relocated services from the building in Haywood Road, Accrington, in December 2024, confirmed it was working closely with local patient representatives, the town’s MP Sarah Smith and members of Hyndburn Borough Council (HBC), the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) and Calico Homes on the project.  

Everyone involved in a monthly group driving progress on the site was keen to reiterate their commitment to regeneration in line with the wishes of local people, preserving as much of its original heritage as possible.  The group’s vision for the Accrington Victoria site includes creating a holistic health and care offering, with a particular focus on those who are elderly or living with chronic or lifelong conditions. 

The group’s key priorities are to: 

• Secure approval for a GP practice to return to the site 
• Work with partners to secure further health services, including those focused on helping the elderly and those with long term conditions 
• Aim to create flexible spaces for health or community activity such as drop-in clinics or events including a café  
• Provide homes which support local people, such as frail or elderly residents or those who need extra care to support them to live independently in the community for as long as possible  

The Strategic Group was equally clear that retail or private housing development had all been ruled out by the Trust and local authority.  

Sarah Smith MP for Hyndburn and Haslingden, chairs the Strategic Group. She said: “We understand how important this site is to local people and the deep and emotional ties people feel to Accrington Victoria Hospital, due to the way it was paid for when it was built over 130 years ago.   

“That’s why I am chairing the Strategic Group, which includes patients, local representatives and key organisations, to make sure this project delivers what people want for the future. We know that the community want to see further health provision returning to the site, including step down services and diagnostics and I will keep pushing for this to happen. 

“During the consultation people said that they want to see this site used for the delivery of healthcare services, including a GP practice, as well as community spaces, supported living accommodation and wider health and wellbeing services. 

“We know that the site is beyond repair or refurbishment as a hospital. You can see from the roadside that it is in a dangerous condition and is full of materials including asbestos. It has been subject to vandalism and, in the past few weeks, illegal occupation of the grounds which I know caused a huge amount of concern from local people.  

“Now is the time that we must progress with the redevelopment of this site to help alleviate pressure on other services and to ensure for decades to come it enables residents across Hyndburn to live healthier and better lives.” 

The Strategic Group has been working together for over a year, using the outcomes of a community engagement exercise completed last summer as guiding principles for design and development work. The following activity is now expected to progress over the next few weeks: 

• Hoardings and ground works will begin on-site 
• A planning application will be submitted to Hyndburn Borough Council to dismantle the building, as well as sensitively but safely capturing the original facade to ensure it can be recaptured in any new designs 
• The process will be managed to allow for the retention of Victorian elements of the original building including - Founder stones, inset windows, plaques and bricks which can then be reused in the new buildings.

Martin Hodgson, chief executive at ELHT, said: “I know how much this site means to local people in Accrington, some of whom will remember paying some of their own wages into the hospital’s funds as it developed and expanded.  

 “The concerns of the community are also clear around us selling the site for private housing or other commercial development. I want to categorically rule this out of its future. We are committed to this vision and will do everything possible to make it a reality as soon as we can.   

“Together with local people and the strong community-based groups in the area, I’m confident we can create something fantastic that means the legacy and spirit of ‘Accy Vic’ lives on for many years to come.” 

 Sarah Smith MP added: “Everyone I am working with is determined to get this regeneration right. Calico has a great reputation in East Lancashire, with similar regeneration projects delivered in neighbouring areas, and I am confident we can do something really positive here too.  

“I want to assure everyone who came forward to talk to us and provide their views on the future of the site last summer that we have taken every one of them on board. Creating this partnership will be the next step to realising our ambitions for Accrington Victoria and that includes holding onto its history and heritage, even as its core purpose as a hospital shifts.” 

Anthony Duerden, chief executive of the Calico Group, added: “We’re keen to work with our partners to move this project forward and ensure it reflects the needs of local people.

“Developments of this size naturally bring challenges and a wide range of views, but we’re looking forward to working with the Hyndburn community as plans develop. “Our recent work with the Trust at Dovestone Gardens shows what’s possible through strong partnerships, and we’re committed to doing everything we can to achieve the same here.” 

Aaron Cummins, chief executive of NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board, said: “We are pleased to support the redevelopment of Accrington Victoria Hospital into a thriving community health asset that will support the people of Accrington and the wider Hyndburn area for generations to come.   

“Recent new funding has allowed us to support the development of the Acorn Primary Health Care Centre into a real hub for people’s healthcare needs in the town and the transformation of the Accrington Victoria site will complement that perfectly.  

“Hyndburn is an area of high priority for the ICB because of the levels of health inequalities. Based on other projects in Lancashire like the Fleetwood Trust Community Hospital, we know partnership working can deliver incredible impact for the community. I believe the approach being taken in Hyndburn could be transformative for community health and wellbeing.”