A 12-acre former Quaker mental health facility in York has hit the market as a potential development opportunity.
The property on Heslington Road features a 132,000 sq ft of Grade II listed property, including the 115,000 sq ft main building, which the York Quakers opened in 1796 as a private mental health facility called The Retreat.
The Quakers, led by William Tuke, acquired the land 220 years ago. The 40-acre wider estate includes a Quaker burial ground, where notable York Quakers including members of the Rowntree family are buried.
The building and associated land have become vacant as a part of a wider repurposing of The Retreat’s estate. The owners have instructed Savills to the freehold for the sell three zones, comprising the four-storey principal building, Garrow Hill House and Cottage Villa as a development opportunity, with unconditional bids expected in the region of £10m.
It is located to the south east, one mile from the city centre, close to the University of York and York Station.
Potential future uses could include a conversion to residential, care, hotel or leisure, pending planning consent. Savills has been working with City of York Council since April 2019, with a formal pre-application submission made last November proposing change of use to residential (C3) or hotel (C1) uses. The agent is also working with The Retreat to promote the site for Green Belt release in the Local Plan.
A sale is expected later in the year, with an outline planning application expected in spring 2021.
Matthew Jones, director at Savills, said: “Given the significant heritage and legacy of this site, Savills has been working closely with both the City of York Council and Historic England throughout the year.
“The site itself, in a prime location, represents a unique development opportunity with a range of potential future uses.”
David Robson, chair of the board of trustees at The Retreat, added: “The development of more community-focused services has led us to develop alternative ways of providing services and this in turn means releasing some of these buildings to better alternative uses.
“We are in discussions with stakeholders and community leaders about possible future uses for the remainder of the estate but are committed to maintaining the Quaker legacy of the site and providing facilities which benefit local people and our local communities.”
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