Approval Given for Ravenscourt Park Hospital Redevelopment
Plans include 140 flats, community spaces and a 65-bed care home
A visualisation of the plan from the developer. Picture: SPPARC
July 31, 2025
A vacant Grade II* listed Art Deco hospital by Ravenscourt Park is to be redeveloped to deliver a mix of housing, community space and a new care home.
The former Royal Masonic Hospital, built in the 1930s, has sat empty since 2006 when NHS services were transferred to Charing Cross.
Unused and affected by disrepair, the proposal, approved by Hammersmith and Fulham Council on Wednesday night (30 July), will see a newer, non-listed block demolished and a major refurbishment of the wider site.
A total of 140 fats, 21 ‘affordable’, will be delivered, alongside the community spaces and a 65-bed care home.
James Bradbury, Senior Development Manager at TT Group, said the scheme “ensures this London landmark can be enjoyed for generations to come while contributing to the local area”.
The hospital was opened in 1933 by King George V. According to planning documents, it was the largest independent acute hospital in Europe at the time providing low-cost treatment for Freemasons and their families.
The site went through various changes over the years, including when it was leased to the NHS as a Diagnostic and Treatment Centre in 2002 and renamed Ravenscourt Park Hospital.
Since the NHS services transferred to Charing Cross Hospital in 2006 it has remained vacant, and was later added to Historic England’s Buildings at Risk Register.
The Royal Masonic Hospital in Ravenscourt Park
Applicant TT Group, an investment and development firm, purchased it in 2022. Under the plans four of the existing blocks will be converted and extended for residential and community/cultural use.
The fifth, which is not listed, is to be knocked down and replaced with a new building, providing more housing plus the care home.
A visualisation of the plan from the developer. Picture: SPPARC
A first consultation was held in September 2024, drawing 93 objections and two letters of support. Concerns raised included the height of the new blocks, alterations to the existing listed building and the level of affordable housing.
Amendments were subsequently made to the proposal, and a second consultation in March 2025 received six objections from residents, plus two neutral letters and one in support.
Hammersmith and Fulham Council planning officers recommended the scheme for approval, noting its restoration of a heritage asset and contributions such as its residential plans.
The officers’ report states that while the 21 affordable homes equates to just 15 per cent of the homes by unit, a contribution of £2.7 million would be secured to go towards affordable housing off-site, bringing the total to 24 per cent.
An aerial view of the site. Picture: Savills
Steven Walker, representing the Residents’ Association of Ravenscourt Square, said at Wednesday night’s Planning and Development Control Committee the group had no objection to the change of use or redevelopment in principle but that concerns remained about two of the proposed blocks, E and F.
“All that we want as residents is that the development respects the fact it’s in a conservation area and complies with Hammersmith and Fulham’s own guidelines,” he said. “I’m sorry to say at the moment it does not do so.”
He said one of the blocks, borrowing language from an officer, would “puncture” the skyline and negatively impact the area.
“The fact is the roofline and the townscape that currently exists will be destroyed, and that is not consistent with conserving a conservation area.” He also questioned the officers’ designation of the potential harm from the scheme as “less than substantial”, describing this position as “highly subjective”.
He concluded by requesting that if the application was to be approved that blocks E and F be reduced to a minimum of four storeys tall rather than the five requested.
Cllr Patrick Walsh, a representative for the Ravenscourt ward, raised concerns about how parking will be managed given the site will be car-free. In particular he asked about the expected impact on residents of Ravenscourt Square, which borders one side of the former hospital.
An officer said they were “confident” there would be enough measures and mitigations in place to prevent overspill becoming an issue, with the primary access to the development to be via Ravenscourt Park on the opposite side of the site.
Cllr Walsh also asked about the construction logistics plan, which officers wrote in their report “is not fully supported”. This is partly due to demolition vehicles expected to use Ravenscourt Square, which is the key ambulance route for the nearby Chiswick Nursing Centre.
Cllr Walsh proposed a motion requesting the construction and demolition plans come back to the committee for approval rather than be delegated to officers. This was seconded by Chair Cllr Nikos Souslous and approved by members, alongside the planning application and listed building consent.
Duncan Brisbane, Development Director at TT Group, said: “The former Ravenscourt Park Hospital’s revival is long overdue, with planning approval ensuring this important building can finally be brought back into long-term use. Alongside a best-in-class project team, we now look forward to bringing the proposals to life, building on our track record for delivering much-needed housing on some of London’s highest-quality brownfield sites.”
Mr Bradbury said: “Our newly consented plans for the redundant site prioritise the heritage building’s restoration and revival, bringing all the Grade II* listed hospital wards and treatment blocks back into use. Through sympathetic conversion to new housing and a care home, and by opening up part of the grounds for the first time, the project ensures this London landmark can be enjoyed for generations to come while contributing to the local area.”
Ben Lynch - Local democracy reporter
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