OFFERS are being invitted for Dorchester’s former fire station as the Dorset County Hospital-owned site officially goes on the market.

Hospital bosses have made no secret of their desire to sell off the asset in a bid to help the previously debt-ridden hospital on its path to financial recovery.

However, the decision has been met with some opposition including one patient governor at the hospital who has called the move to sell up ‘a mistake’.

The 0.6-hectare brownfield site on Bridport Road is being offered for sale freehold by informal tender, with best offers invited by noon on Wednesday, October 12.

The site has outline planning permission for 16 homes, with a condition that five of them are allocated as affordable housing.

Paul Spong, from real estate service provider Savills which is handling the sale, said: “This site provides an ideal opportunity for a quality redevelopment scheme.

“Dorchester is a thriving county town with good transport connections across the south coast and land in this type of location is in high demand.”

He added: “We have already had a good response from a number of interested parties and we’re looking forward to being part of the redevelopment of this vacant site.”

Patient governor Derek Julian has voiced his opposition in the past to the sale of the site, claiming the hospital may need the land in the long-term for expansion as the population of Dorchester, Poundbury and the surrounding area continues to grow.

He added that the hospital could be used in the short term to provide additional parking space and said that those who use the hospital should be consulted before a decision is made.

Mr Julian said: “I do think it is a mistake to sell it because there is obviously a shortage of parking and as the town expands the hospital is going to need to get bigger. We should never sell off land because the money will disappear overnight and the land has gone forever.

“We owe it to future generations to have the foresight to retain the land.”

A spokesman for Dorset County Hospital said: “Following a thorough review of the previous strategy of the Trust and, in light of its financial constraints, the board concluded that it was unlikely that the hospital site would increase in size in the immediate future and, therefore, the fire station site was deemed to be surplus to requirements.”

For more information about the sale of the site visit www.savills.co.uk/formerdorchesterfirestation