Houses planned for
site of former
Alexander Hospital
Feb 7 2008 By Graham
Mann,
Airdrie & Coatbridge
Advertiser
THE site of the
former Alexander
Hospital in
Coatbridge could
soon be up for sale
if outline planning
permission is
granted.
Plans to redevelop
the Blair Road site
for residential use
were recommended for
approval subject to
conditions when they
went before
councillors at
yesterday’s planning
and transportation
committee.
Although the old
building does not
have listed status,
John O’Hagan,
executive director
of corporate
services,
recommended the
retention of the
entire old hospital
building or its
facade.
The conditions also
stipulate that the
total number of
dwelling units
within the proposed
site shall not be
more than 50, and
the site should
include a single
point of vehicular
access located at
the north-most
section.
One letter of
objection was
received. In
summary, it stated:
“The building is
part of Coatbridge’s
heritage and is in
excellent condition.
It would be
sacrilege to
demolish the
building.”
Mr O’Hagan said:
“The opportunity to
retain the old
hospital building -
either entirely or
just the facade -
weighs significantly
in its favour and
this in part
provides
justification for
allowing vehicular
access which would
be below the normal
acceptable
standard.”
The Alexander
Hospital was built
and endowed from a
bequest left by John
Alexander,
ironmaster and first
Provost of
Coatbridge. It
opened in 1899 and
accepted surgical
and non-infectious
cases from Shotts
and Old and New
Monklands.
There were 20 beds
in the original
hospital, which was
extended in 1925.
In 1948, it passed
into the National
Health Service under
the Board of
Management for
Coatbridge, Airdrie
and District
Hospitals. An
out–patient
department was added
in 1954 and a GP
maternity unit in
1962. The hospital
was placed in the
Monklands and
Cumbernauld District
of Lanarkshire
Health Board in 1974
and closed in 1978.
It re-opened soon
after as Alexander
Resource Centre, run
by North Lanarkshire
Council, but the
doors closed for a
final time in
November 2005.
A spokesperson for
NHS Lanarkshire
said: ”Outline
planning permission
is being sought in
preparation for the
marketing of the
site.
“All previous
services that were
available at the
former Alexander
Hospital have now
been integrated into
the purpose-built
facilities at
Coathill Hospital.”
Blaze
spells end for old
Alexander
Hospital
Nov 4 2009 by
Judith Tonner,
Airdrie & Coatbridge
Advertiser
A HISTORIC
Coatbridge building
is to be demolished
after suffering
severe damage when
it was set ablaze on
Friday afternoon.
Flames ripped
through the upper
storeys of the
derelict Alexander
Hospital in Blair
Road, at about 1pm.
Crews from
Coatbridge fire
station rushed to
the scene to find
the top floor and
roof of the
three-storey
building were “well
alight”.
They were soon
joined by colleagues
from Bellshill and
an aerial platform
was used as a water
tower to douse the
flames from above.
Police say the cause
of the fire was
“wilful” and are
following a positive
line of enquiry
after two youths
were spotted running
away from the scene.
Blair Road had to be
sealed off as
firefighters battled
the flames,
affecting pupils at
nearby St Ambrose
High whose buses had
to be diverted at
the end of the
school day.
The Alexander
Hospital building is
owned by NHS
Lanarkshire who had
previously put it up
for sale after
outline permission
was granted in
February, 2008, for
its conversion into
flats.
A spokesman for the
health authority
said: “As a result
of the fire, the
former Alexander
Hospital was subject
to extensive damage.
It was surveyed by
North Lanarkshire
Council and, due to
the condition of the
building, a
demolition order has
been issued
The
Alexander Hospital
