PORTLAND councillor Paul Kimber is seeking assurances that the Portland Hospital site will remain open – after it appeared in a council list, potentially ear-marking it for more than 50 homes.

He told Thursday evening’s full Dorset Council meeting: “Why is Portland hospital on Dorset Council Asset Register as a future suitable site for 51 homes when we have been told many times by Health Authorities that it is not to close or be developed?”

Planning portfolio holder Cllr David Walsh said that although it now appeared on the list there were no plans, he was aware of, for closure or to redevelop the NHS site.

He told councillors: “Local planning authorities have a duty to prepare Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessments (SHLAAs) which are intended to set out a record of sites that are assessed for their development potential, and owners can nominate sites for us to consider without prejudice to their existing continued use. 

"The assessment is an important source of evidence to inform plan-making but does not in itself determine whether a site should be allocated for development or grant any planning permission for its development.

"Portland Hospital was submitted to us by a planning agent acting on behalf of the owner/operator and we have a duty to report on all sites submitted to us.

"Therefore it is an identified SHLAA site but the details note it is a community use and that it does not have any planning permission for residential development. The details also have a caveat that its suitability would be subject to finding alternative provision for the healthcare.”