Somerset Council has completed the sale of C Block of County Hall in Taunton to Prime plc.
Prime, a specialist developer of health and care property, intends to redevelop the 4,600 metre building to provide new key worker accommodation for the town. The building was made available for sale following a review of assets in line with the Council’s Asset Management Strategy, and was approved by the Executive in November 2023. The sale releases funds that will help the Council to protect and deliver vital services.
Prime has a wealth of experience in developing a variety of facilities including clinical buildings, hospital car parks, care homes and housing for key workers. It has a track record in creating spaces that focus on thoughtful, sustainable design. Its experience includes the delivery of a 176-bedroom complex of affordable, high quality housing at Yeovil Hospital.
New accommodation in the C Block building will be operated by Hyve, a not-for-profit provider of key worker housing. Hyve provides housing in the local community designed to enhance wellbeing and appoints house managers who support tenants to have the best possible living experience close to their place of work. They currently operate a key worker housing development in Dorchester, Alexandra House in Brewery Square and a new development is in construction close to Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro.
Hyve accommodation is exclusively for people working to provide public services. First refusal for tenancy is typically offered to local NHS providers as key occupiers because they often have a high demand for accommodation. However, Hyve could also provide accommodation for public sector employees providing frontline services in health, education and community safety such as police, firefighters, teachers, social care and childcare workers.
Prime chose to purchase the site due to its close proximity to Musgrove Park Hospital, and its potential to provide housing for hospital staff in easy walking distance of the hospital. They are in conversation with Somerset NHS Foundation Trust about the potential to offer housing for staff in new purpose designed homes.
Will Bilbrough, Technical Development Director at Prime, said:
On previous projects we have seen first-hand how having access to holistically designed accommodation can transform the experience of key workers, improving their wellbeing and supporting them to stay with employers longer.
We are excited to get started on redeveloping C Block, County Hall, giving it a second life as an asset to the local community.
Cllr Mike Rigby, Somerset Council’s Lead Member for Strategic Asset Management said:
We are very pleased to see this sale completed. When Somerset Council was formed in 2023, we committed to reviewing our estate and making the right decisions, including selling buildings that were no longer required, to generate income that will play a part in protecting vital services for residents. This sale is a great example of the positive changes and steps we are taking to address the budget gap we face.
Providing accommodation to our county’s keyworkers is also a great opportunity and we look forward to seeing these plans progress.
Prime will next be making an application to Somerset Council’s planning department for a change of use for the building to key worker accommodation. If successful, it will then begin design work and invite the local community to take part in the development at public drop in sessions.
