A cautious welcome has been given to the news that Sunnyside Hospital is set for sale and could be on the brink of major redevelopment.
NHS Tayside this week confirmed that the disposal of the site near Montrose is in its “final stages”, news which has prompted local councillor David May to air the hope of a bright future for what was once Scotland’s largest psychiatric facility.
But he has said it is crucial that any redevelopment of the listed buildings and the 21-hectare site – closed in 2011 – must take account of the pressure it will put on local infrastructure including education and transport.
Mr May has also said any prospect of the Mulberry unit at Stracathro Hospital’s Susan Carnegie Centre –the facility which replaced Sunnyside just five years’ ago – closing would be “an appalling thought”.
An initial assessment carried out as part of a 2013 development brief exercise suggested that the estate is capable of accommodating around 320 units, comprising 130 flats from the reuse of existing buildings and 190 houses on development areas.
Mr May said: “We will have to wait and see when a new buyer is finally confirmed but I was always led to believe that they were not going to sell the Sunnyside site as one and not allow developers to cherry pick parts of it.
“Inevitably there will be concerns about it, but I think I would give this news a cautious welcome in the hope that there will be a positive future for Sunnyside, which we do not want to see lying empty and deteriorating.
“There are, however, obvious implications for local services including the local primary school, which is already close to its maximum capacity.
“If the sale involves the development of what could be 300 homes how many youngsters will that add?”
He continued: “The other very important aspect for me is the protection of the wonderful listed buildings there.
“For example, the ceiling inside the recreation hall and Zodiac room are magnificent and I think everything possible must be done to retain features such as those.
“They are massive, beautiful buildings and I think it will be a challenge for any developer to take on, but in many respect I believe the Sunnyside site would be an ideal location for retirement-type homes given the setting and the increasing need for such properties.
“I’m delighted, however, that progress is being made because there has always been the worry that the buildings would fall into further disrepair and the potential for vandalism has always been there.”
