Clanmil welcomes political representatives to Downpatrick development Posted on 4 January 2022
Clanmil Housing Association welcomed local political representatives to the site of the former Downe Hospital where refurbishment work is in progress to bring the former hospital back into use as much-needed homes for Downpatrick.
The residential development on the Ardglass Road will provide a total of 103 homes including 54 houses and 49 apartments. Clanmil has taken handover of 37 homes and families have now moved in, with the next phase of the development due for completion in summer 2022.
Carol McTaggart Group Director of Development at Clanmil, welcomed political representatives from the main political parties.
Carol commented:
“At Clanmil our purpose is to provide homes for people to live well. We are delighted that people have already made Pound Lane, Downe Close and Downe Avenue their home and we look forward to welcoming more new residents to their homes over the coming months.”
She continued:
“Maintaining the character of the iconic buildings on the site was a key focus for us and we are pleased that the architect, developer and contractor have created modern comfortable homes while respecting the listed status of the buildings.”
Chris Hazzard, Sinn Fein MP for South Down was one of those who visited the site. He said:
“I was delighted to get a tour of the site, and to see the painstaking work involved in restoring the old Downe hospital into more than 100 homes. It is fantastic that £14million is being invested in an exciting project such as this, with modern comfortable homes in keeping with the iconic character of the former hospital in the centre of Downpatrick. I can’t wait to see the final result.”
The development includes a refurbishment of the infirmary building, which was established at Pound Lane in 1834 and the administration building (also known as the Fever Hospital) both of which are Grade B2 Listed. Both of these buildings were designed by John Lynn who created a number of buildings around Downpatrick. These include the Gaol (now Down High School) and the Judge’s Lodgings next to Down County Museum.