Dreaming

Had I been dreaming? When I went up to Pool Parc/Pool Park to take more photographs in case of any pending changes, I'm sure I saw a planning notice attached to a telegraph pole. When I went up again last night, this time actually to read it, it had gone. Am I going mad? Probably. But there *was* a piece of plastic banding around the telegraph pole that would indicate I may not need a psychiatrist, after all. Perhaps the notices have been removed.

Without evidence, I cannot say for sure whether the talked about a planning application for a "care village" of 60 plus apartments is live, or not. If there is one, and if this means that the Baggot's Pool Park House is actually going to be used again, may be this isn't such a bad idea. Always provided, of course, that the "village" is sympathetic to the landscape, frontage and structure of this imposing building. Not that the house itself is particularly beautiful. To open as a care facility (whatever that may mean) seems highly appropriate given the years of service to the community as an adjunct to the North Wales Hospital.

Pool Park Hospital closed 20 years ago this year, since when it's largely been in the ownership of Roberts's Homes, the builder and landlord responsible for a large number of the wider area's flats and care homes. Expensive changes to comply with planning's wishes, by modifying the driveway where it meets the B5105 Cerrigydrudion road, did not result in the expected planning permissions, some years ago. I can't now remember why that was.

Pool Park's been rotting ever since. While all the attention's focused locally on Dinbych/Denbigh's North Wales Hospital itself, Pool Park has quietly crumbled, away from any attention. Perhaps this is about to change…

As early as 1987, once the 36 residents had moved out, there were embryonic plans to sell Pool Park to a Macclesfield company for conversion, and I quote, to "a school for maladjusted children" (sic), offering retraining and job security for existing staff.