Slide 13 reads as follows:
"The St. Thomas’ Hospital site is a historic complex of buildings and an important part of Stockport’s past. However, the condition of many of the buildings is extremely poor and the most important listed building, the Workhouse, is in a particularly poor condition. The College has assessed the quality and the condition of the various buildings and explored how it can most effectively bring about investment to enable the restoration and positive reuse of some of the key buildings, in line with the overall masterplan. The College has to bear in mind the sustainability of the various buildings for educational use and the need to create a sufficient stock of large floorplate buildings to provide efficient and flexible accommodation now and in the future. "Taking all these considerations into account it is not considered viable for the College to refurbish and retain all of the buildings on the site. Instead a strategy has been provided which allows for selective demolition and allows for significant investment to be concentrated on preserving the most important buildings, with selective demolition of others. The Workhouse and the Waiting Room are considered to be the most important historic assets on the site, and their refurbishment and reuse is proposed. Unfortunately, they are also the buildings in worst condition - especially the Workhouse, which has been extremely neglected and in a very poor state of repair. The buildings proposed for retention will be costly to refurbish - estimated at over £7 million. Nevertheless, given their conservation significance the College proposes to retain the Workhouse together with the Waiting Room. The masterplan proposals represent a major opportunity to secure a long term, viable future for these fine buildings. "Demolition of some of the listed buildings is therefore an essential aspect of achieving the overall development. The acceptability of the proposals will be demonstrated through the detailed stages of obtaining planning permission and listed building consent, in line with PPG15 ‘Planning and the Historic Environment."
