THE former Retreat hospital in York is set to be redeveloped into new homes, some of them affordable.

There will also be a number of initiatives to enhance public access to parts of The Retreat’s extensive grounds.

The PJ Livesey Group, a specialist in refurbishing iconic buildings,has been appointed as preferred supplier to develop the site of the former psychiatric hospital in Heslington Road.

The 40-acre plot, which features a main building opened in 1796 by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), closed to inpatients at the end of 2018.

It was offered for sale last September as part of a wider reconfiguration of services which included a new children’s outpatient unit in Strensall. At that time, one possibility was conversion into a hotel.

A spokesman said the sale did not encompass all of the buildings in the estate, and The Retreat would continue to deliver services there as part of its adult neurodevelopmental and psychological assessment and therapy services.

He said PJ Livesey's bid was selected following a competitive process and, subject to formal ratification by the Retreat’s Board of Trustees, the two parties would enter formal contract negotiations.

"The initial proposal for the site is for residential development featuring a proportion of affordable housing and a number of initiatives to enhance public access to parts of the Retreat’s wider estate."

He could not say how many homes would be created or how many would be affordable.

Chair/Clerk of The Retreat’s Trustees, David Robson said that during the selection process, they had been particularly impressed with PJ Livesey Group’s track record in developing similarly iconic buildings.“Protecting the Quaker legacy of the site and providing facilities which benefit local people and our local communities has always been uppermost in our considerations.”

Group founder and managing director Peter Livesey said the site was 'hugely important,' both architecturally and socially.“We will bring all our expertise and passion to this site working with the Quakers, the community and heritage experts to secure its future."

Development director James Woodmansee said it would engage in a thorough pre-planning application process with City of York Council, Historic England, conservation groups, local residents and other key stakeholders. If matters progressed well, it was hoped an application would be submitted in early 2022.

The Group has previously converted the Terry’s Chocolate factory building in York into award winning apartments.