Press Release

Tuesday 22nd January 2008

The future of Coldeast site discussed

More than 40 residents braved a wet and windy night to attend the Western Wards Community Action Team meeting in Park Gate last night. At the meeting they had the chance to hear more about developments at the site of the former Coldeast hospital.

 

An update on the site, which is majority owned by English Partnerships, showed residents which areas already had planning permission for the building of 250 dwellings. The extent of the rest of the site could be seen from plans shown to residents. They heard that potential development was likely to include a community hospital, recreation uses, with the possibility of a swimming pool, as well as further residential development.

 

It was fully acknowledged that any developments needed to be accompanied by schools, doctors, and transport infrastructure and residents were assured that discussions with all those necessary to ensure this happened were already underway.

 

Part of the evening involved a discussion on the proposed community hospital which is hoped will be developed by the end of 2010. Inger Hebden, Director of Capital Planning for the Hampshire Primary Care Trust, addressed residents’ concerns that the hospital facility would not provide beds. She commented: “Treatments and minor operations are more frequently carried out in day surgeries now. In addition, hospital stays are generally getting shorter. Much of our focus is on returning people to their homes and delivering physiotherapy or occupational therapy to them there. This speeds recovery with people feeling more comfortable in their own homes.

 

“As a result we believe our plans for the community hospital at Coldeast can meet the needs of the residents in these areas.”

 

The meeting also addressed residents’ concerns over speeding and traffic management in the area. Chairman of the Western Wards Community Action Team meeting, Councillor Marian Ellerton, said: “It is gratifying to see so many people attend the CATs meeting. Many residents spoke to me after the meeting to say that they were happy with the opportunity they had had to speak and raise concerns. We did overrun by half an hour, but people were happy to do so in order to ensure all the issues raised were addressed.

 

“I’d very much like to thank residents for attending, as well as our partners from the police and the primary care trust.”

 

The next CATs meeting for Western Wards will take place at 7:00pm on Friday 14th March at the Victory Hall in Warsash.

  

Ends

 

For further information contact:

Mel McKeown, Head of Communications,  tel: 01329 824507

fax: 01329 821518, e-mail: publicity@fareham.gov.uk