'No impact on care' from hospice mansion sale

A charity that is selling a mansion said the move would have "no impact" on care services at a hospice on the site.

Sue Ryder is putting Thorpe Hall in Peterborough up for sale on the open market.

The sale will include some farmland and a lodge house.

The charity said it would "preserve a much-loved local landmark and help protect the care the charity gives".

Thorpe Hall was built in the mid-17th Century for the Commonwealth's Lord Chief Justice, Oliver St John.

It was used as a maternity home for a time and was bought by Sue Ryder in 1986.

A 20-bed ward was opened in the old kitchen garden of the Grade I listed country house in 2015.

The charity said it "had begun working with local planners, heritage experts and a property consultancy firm to find a sustainable future for the building in 2023".

It added that the decision to list the hall on the open market "has no impact on Sue Ryder's care services in the region, as the land on which Sue Ryder's inpatient unit is located is excluded from the listing, with the charity continuing to provide care from its inpatient unit and in people's homes in local communities as normal".

Martin Wildsmith, the chief commercial officer for Sue Ryder, said, "We have shared previously how the age and listed status of the Thorpe Hall mansion house is making maintaining the building and estate very challenging for our charity at a time the cost of delivering our care is rising, and more people are needing our support.

"These pressures are sharply increasing, which is why we must take action now, not only to preserve this unique building but to ensure our charity funds are not diverted away from those who depend on our care."

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