A South Holland man has launched a campaign to change laws as part of a bid to save the former Johnson Hospital building in Spalding.
Over 350 people have signed Steve Timewell’s petition ‘Force Compulsory Purchase of the Johnson Hospital’ set up last Friday.
The Priory Road building has been derelict for around 13 years.
The petition reads: “This hospital was gifted to the people of Spalding then sold from under our feet to an offshore investment company who have left the building to rot.
“We want this building back in local public hands to turn it into a community hub for everyone to use but we need to force the owners to sell and it’s unclear if the current law is strong enough
“We need the assistance of the government and our local council to assist in legally forcing a compulsory purchase order (CPO).
“It should be far easier to get a CPO on buildings that are at risk, before it’s too late.”
Coun Elizabeth Sneath, South Holland District Council’s portfolio holder for conservation and heritage, said she believed the council had tried CPOs for both the old Johnson Hospital and the Bull and Monkie site before, but they had not been successful.
“We’re very unhappy with the situation but our hands are tied.
“We would like to do more.”
Mr Timewell says he has the backing of Sir John Hayes in a hope that laws around CPOs can be changed.
He’s also set up a Johnson Trust group and website www.johnsontrust.co.uk as he’d like to turn it into a self-sustainable community centre providing rooms to hire out and is looking to raise £500,000 to help buy the building.
“Maybe the plan is just dreaming”, Steve said. “But I feel I have to try.
“We should not sit back and allow this building to fall down or be turned into something we don’t need or want.
“I’m also trying to get in touch with the owners to appeal to their conscience to see if they will do something for our local community but I’m not holding out much hope.”
The hospital dates back to 1881 but was closed in 2009 when the new Johnson Hospital opened its doors in Spalding Road.
It and the Bull and Monkie are listed as being owned by Dyden Ltd, a company based in the British Virgin Islands whose listed shareholders are “business management consultants” SMP Helm Trust Limited who are based in Jersey.
The Voice has tried to contact SMP Helm to ask about the former hospital and the future of the former Bull and Monkie pub on Churchgate, but has not received a response.
In 2019 local resident Jackie Allen made a bid to English Heritage for the building to be given listed status but it was turned down.
Historic England says the former hospital is not “under serious threat of demolition or major alteration” and is not “a site that possesses evident significance”.
