South Dorset MP to 'defend' hospital sites from becoming housing
Portland and Weymouth's hospitals are on possible development lists
South Dorset's MP, Richard Drax, has promised to 'defend' local hospital sites from possible future housing developments.
Weymouth and Portland's hospitals are among five in Dorset that have appeared on a Council list, where plots are earmarked for residential building.
Richard Drax said:
“These hospitals are valuable community assets and rightly, they are prized by local people. You have only to look at thriving community hospitals like Swanage to see their true value.
“I am deeply disappointed to discover that they are even being considered as potential building sites. We have lost the beds and the minor injuries unit (MIU) at Portland hospital; they are sorely missed. One of the few consolations was the possibility of the buildings being used for more healthcare provision.
“I am now told that these buildings have been listed since 2019 as possible building sites for housing under Dorset Council’s Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA).
“I have of course contacted Dorset Healthcare who assure me that they have no intention of using these sites for housing; this came from an earlier Council planning exercise. In fact, and I quote, Dorset Healthcare said today, 'we have no plans to dispose of the Portland Hospital site or to close the hospital. In fact, we are actively looking for more services to run from the hospital, and would also welcome suggestions from the local community about services that could be hosted in this facility'.
“I would like to add now that I will do everything in my power to safeguard the Portland hospital site and the one in Weymouth. They are important and should be used for the purposes for which, and the people for whom they were built.”