PLANS for 300 houses to be built on the site of a Grade II listed derelict hospital have been revealed.

Details about the early construction stages of the planned re-development of the 19th century North Wales Hospital site in Denbigh, which has been closed for more than 20 years, have been submitted to Denbighshire County Council by Ruthin-based civil engineering company Jones Brothers.

Last October, the local authority took over the ownership of the site after issuing a compulsory purchase order to the former owner, under whom the unused site fell into disrepair, with the aim of advancing a redevelopment there.

The council has been working with Jones Brothers after selecting the company as its preferred contractor with plans for a housing-led redevelopment. It will maintain ownership of the site until a decision is made about the planning application.

Now a design and access statement for a building compound has been submitted to the council stating Jones Brothers’ intention to construct a portable cabin, a training centre and a workshop for storage and repairs at the South East end of the former hospital site.

The company is also looking to set up a large car park and secure access to the site from Pont Ystrad Road for up to 50 of heavy goods vehicles.

In the document, Jones Brothers said the compound would allow it “an early presence on site [and] deter vandals and trespassers through natural surveillance”.

It said 20 office staff would be on site during the proposed working hours of Monday and Friday from 8am to 6pm, and five staff on Saturdays and Sundays between 8am and 4pm.

Jones Brothers also said the training centre would be set up to create opportunities for up to 35 apprentices and trainees to improve their skills and gain qualifications on the site.

It added that the workshop would allow it to store stone, slate and “other historical feature work in connection with the development of the site”.

Jones Brothers continued to say that there will be “on average between 20 and 50 HGVs a day” travelling to the site. 50 car parking spaces will be made available.

The company said it will respect the site and its surroundings, though tree felling will take place and Denbighshire County Council expects that 50 per cent of the listed buildings will be lost during the redevelopment.

The building compound will be removed once Jones Brothers’s housing construction has been completed, which has been agreed to in principle by the council.

Hugh Evans, leader of DCC, said: “The long-term intention is to have a strong housing development. With that, there will be enablement funding to invest in the buildings to bring them back to their past glory.

“I think it can become a destination in its own right, where people will want to see a building of this beauty that has been restored.”