WHILST it was a great victory for Christchurch and its residents in securing a community facility in Christchurch town centre, the rejection of the application to breath new life into Christchurch Hospital with a £10m-plus investment just to save an old unusable building is irresponsible and will affect the whole community.

The old H block, we are told, cannot be used for modern healthcare services and I for one would rather spend local NHS money on retaining and improving local healthcare and not on renovating an old rundown building. The four councillors who voted to reject this application and a small number of vocal objectors may have cost our community the health services we desperately need.

The possible loss of the Macmillan Unit, bloods unit, X-ray and imagining departments, as well as increased outpatient facilities, is outrageous and all those who were responsible in getting this rejected should be ashamed of themselves.

I just hope Christchurch Borough Council realise what they have done and the people of Christchurch who want to retain these services make their views known quickly and publicly.

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