![\"Vandalism](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/0_Vandalism-at-Accrington-Victoria-Hospital-1jpeg.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe site will be replaced by a new health and care hub for the community<\/p>\n
Vandalism at Accrington Victoria Hospital<\/p>\n
Hyndburn Borough Council has approved plans to knock down a derelict historic hospital in Accrington<\/a>, making way for a new health and care hub.<\/p>\n Victoria Community Hospital was closed in late 2024<\/a> after serving the health needs of the community for 126 years, following multiple issues with the site that included a collapsing ceiling, broken boilers and asbestos. East Lancashire<\/a> Hospitals NHS<\/a> Trust moved its services out of the Haywood Road hospital because of these problems, before working with a variety of organisations, from the council to patient groups and MP Sarah Smith, to come up with a new future for the site.<\/p>\n Those plans were finally revealed in March this year, with the former hospital being demolished to make way for a new holistic approach to healthcare in Accrington. This will involve a focus on older residents and those living with chronic conditions, with the site featuring a new GP surgery, housing for the elderly, a community hub and specialist spaces for drop-in clinics.<\/p>\n A community-focused future for the Victorian-era hospital was decided by ELHT and Hyndburn<\/a> Council following extensive consultations, with the trust\u2019s chief executive Martin Hodgson saying in March: \u201cThe concerns of the community are clear around us selling the site for private housing or other commercial development. I want to categorically rule this out.\u201d<\/p>\n Accrington Victoria Hospital<\/p>\n But while these new services will take over the space where the \u2018Accy Vic\u2019 once stood, some iconic elements of the old building will be woven into the new health and care hub\u2019s fabric. That will include some of the building\u2019s fa\u00e7ades, as well as plaques, founder stones and even some of the hospital\u2019s old bricks, which will be salvaged once the structure has been dismantled by construction firm Ring Stones.<\/p>\n With the empty historic healthcare institution facing issues with vandalism<\/a> and people using the asbestos-ridden site without permission, such as when caravans moved onto the site earlier this year, it seems that the demolition is likely to take place soon.<\/p>\n In their application for prior approval to knock the building down and remediate the site, PWA Planning states: \u201cThe existing buildings are vacant and have deteriorated significantly, giving rise to health, safety and security concerns, including unauthorised access, vandalism, and the presence of hazardous materials.\u201d<\/p>\n The firm also said: \u201cIn addition, the buildings are known to contain hazardous materials, including asbestos, which require controlled removal as part of any demolition process. The clearance of the site is therefore necessary to address these risks and secure the site in the short term.\u201d<\/p>\n Join our LancsLive WhatsApp group<\/p>\n LancsLive now has its very own WhatsApp community to deliver the latest news straight to your phone.<\/p>\n Breaking news, opinion and top stories are being sent directly to our community and we want you to be part of it. Get the latest news as it breaks from across Lancashire<\/a>. Users who want to join must have WhatsApp downloaded to their phone.<\/p>\n All you have to do to join is click on this link<\/a>, select ‘Join Community’ and you’re in. No one will be able to see your personal information in the community and you will only receive messages from the LancsLive news team. We will not spam your WhatsApp feed with constant messages, but you will receive updates from us daily with the latest stories from across the county.<\/p>\n If for some reason you decide you no longer want to be in our community, you can leave at any time by clicking on the name at the top of your screen and clicking ‘Exit Group’, simple as that.<\/p>\n Join our new Whatsapp community! Click this link<\/a> to receive daily LancsLive breaking news and top stories. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don\u2019t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you\u2019re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Accrington](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/0_Accrington-Victoria-HospitalJPG.jpg\")
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