AFTER 12 years of lying derelict, a bid has been accepted to turn Standish Hospital into new homes.

The site in Horsemarling Lane, Standish, has laid derelict since 2004 but is now set to be redeveloped.

Developer PJ Livesey, based in Manchester, has been appointed to redevelop the site, with plans to build around 120 homes.

A spokesman for the government's Homes and Communities Agency, which has responsibility for the site, said: “Following the receipt of a number of bids to re-develop the site of the former Standish Hospital, the Homes and Communities Agency has appointed specialist contractor PJ Livesey to re-develop this site.

“Subject to planning consent, the site will provide around 120 new homes, including a mixture of new-build and refurbishment of the existing listed buildings.

"We look forward to working with the developer, local authority and local community to ensure that the site is brought back in to use sensitively.”

Various proposals to transform the former TB hospital have been put forward over the years, including one plan to turn the site into a spacious country home.

The hospital served as a Red Cross Military Hospital during WW1 and was taken over by the NHS in 1948.