MALVERN Hills District Council is set to withdraw its offer of the Picklersleigh Road depot as a site for a new hospital.

This would leave Seaford Court, on Worcester Road, as the only possible site where a new hospital could be built.

MHDC leader Tom Wells said on Wednesday that he was making his recommendation to the council after hearing reactions at recent public meetings.

He is considering convening a special meeting so a decision can be made before the public meetings on the hospital planned for February 21 and 22. That way he felt discussions about services and bed numbers in a new hospital would not be clouded by site options.

"Back in November we had a letter from Mike Ridley enquiring about the possibility of the depot site being used for new surgeries as well as a hospital," he explained.

"We responded unanimously, in trying to provide assistance and support, that there was that possibility.

"It's become abundantly clear to me that the people of Malvern believe the Seaford Court site would be a better location for our new hospital."

He said that site's advantages were that it was already in the ownership of the PCT, it allowed for future expansion and its location on the main A449 meant it had better access than the depot site.

He hoped the withdrawal of the site would allow the re-housing of two doctors surgeries to get underway without further delay.

However, he stressed the council would still use the depot site as leverage for assurance Malvern gets a new hospital soon.

"The letter I have from Mike Ridley is written confirmation of their commitment to a new hospital. I'm pleased to have that but what I want is a published timetable for the building work."

Mike Ridley responded by saying: "I did have a conversation with Tom Wells yesterday (Wednesday) on the proposed Malvern Community Hospital and I asked him to write formally to the Primary Care Trust on their discussion."