A planning application to demolish Caerphilly District Miners’ Hospital and build homes on the land has been submitted to Caerphilly County Borough Council.
The Aneurin Bevan Health Board wants to demolish the hospital buildings and replace them with 82 new homes.
The historic Beeches building will remain. The planning application is seeking permission for a change of use for the building to a multi-use community centre.
The building was paid for by the miners of the Rhymney Valley after they each put aside 6d out of their weekly wage of 12s 6d to raise the £30,000 needed.
A team of volunteers, led by Caerphilly AM Jeff Cuthbert, have been working on the community centre plan for more than a year.
In January this year, the committee formed to make the community centre a reality took its first legal steps towards becoming a charity. An agreement between the committee and United Welsh Housing, which will have responsibility for the affordable housing on the site, has also been signed.
Caerphilly District Miners’ Hospital will be closed down once the new £172.7million Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr hospital is opened in the autumn.
For more information visit the committee’s website at www.caerphillymcc.weebly.com or its Facebook group.
Very sad, it is shame that this hospital, still easily the best in the area, is to close. Had the political will existed in the 1980's this, highly respected, institution could have expanded onto the ground now occupied by a housing estate. This would have continued to serve a town that has grown hugely since the miners stumped up their, hard earned, cash so that their community would enjoy top class health care.
Sadly the will was not there. Our town, which once had three hospitals will now have none. We now have a police office, instead of a police station. How long will it be until the closure of our fire station is announced?