THE battle to claim the hospital site for the town has been lost, says local campaigner Eddie Bridges – meaning, he says, that the town will lose out on an asset worth millions.
Meanwhile, the NHS says it is “proceeding with plans to place the former Westbury Hospital site on the market.”
But residents say that the facility was gifted to the town before the NHS was even created, and therefore should remain under the town’s ownership.
Although the hospital dates from the early part of the 20th century, it is now understood that the NHS Act 1947 – in which the NHS was created – supersedes any other claim.
Eddie says that no money was ever paid to the town when the NHS took over the hospital, and neither will the town receive anything when the site is sold.
Eddie recently held a meeting with MP Andrew Murrison and officials from NHS Property Services, when it was established that the NHS has the legal backing to their claim to ownership.
Eddie explained, “We had a long discussion. They say – and Dr Murrison agreed in the end – that the NHS Act overrules any other law of the land about disposals of gifts to townspeople. This also overrides the fact that, if you dispose of a gift, you have to have a referendum of the townspeople.
“They are quite adamant they’ve got the legal backing.
“I had a feeling I’d lose but I had to have a go. If you don’t try, you don’t get. I’d like to thank all the members of the Westbury community for their feedback and help. A lot of people came forward with information. I’d also like to thank Dr Murrison because he has been very helpful.
“I’m very sorry that the cause has been lost.”
Last year, Eddie took his campaign to the town council, which decided not to pursue investigations of ownership as it feared heavy legal costs.
Eddie says, “The first half [of the hospital] was built by a benefactor from the Laverton family and the land donated by a doctor. The second half was built by donations, the pennies and pounds from the community. In addition, the friends of the hospital have, since 1948, raised over £1.5million to go in there.”
