CONCERNS have been raised over where the new community hospital is going to be built in Gravesend.

Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley Primary Care Trust (PCT) says it wants to knock down the old Gravesend and North Kent Hospital, which dates back to 1887, to build the new £22.1m community hospital.

It claims it would be impossible to develop the old building because it has been built on a slope, making it difficult for architects to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act.

But Gravesham Council says it has concerns about demolishing the old building, in Bath Street, which has Kentish features such as Roundel buildings.

It would prefer the new hospital, due to open at the end of 2004, to be built on the site of M block the maternity block built on the site 30 years ago.

PCT project manager Bob Sheridan said: "The basic structure of the old hospital is wrong for building a modern health care facility which is why we want to knock it down and start from scratch. It will also be cheaper and take less time to build than developing M block."

Gravesham Council leader Councillor Rosemary Leadley said: "We do have some concerns about knocking down the old hospital on the south side because it is part of Gravesham's heritage.

"But we do want to have a high-quality health care facility in Gravesham and we will be asking our independent planning consultants to look at all of the options.

"We will make a cabinet decision on it at our full council meeting on December 18."

The PCT is hoping to get a "letter of confidence" from the council by December 20 when it will present its outline business case to the NHS Regional Office.

Gravesham Council is holding a scrutiny meeting tomorrow (Thursday) to discuss the hospital site.

It starts at 7.30pm in the civic centre, in Windmill Street.

December 4, 2001 11:53

Emma Coutts-Wood