Fears for elderly over centre closure

The community hospital was officially closed in 2000

Fears are growing for the elderly who use a day centre earmarked for closure.

Burford Cottage Hospital in Sheep Street, Burford, West Oxfordshire, was officially closed in 2000.

At the moment, Age Concern and a specialist Alzheimer's care group, Specol, still run a day centre from part of the Edwardian building, which is located in a conservation area.

But the community fears elderly people in and around Burford will lose the day care facility altogether once the property is disposed of.

The small community hospital is owned by South West Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust which has pledged to do all it can to ensure the service is not lost.

Proposals rejected

A trust spokeswoman said: "We have been providing on-going support for the charities who use the premises and helping them find new premises.

"The alternatives we have identified they have not found suitable and we are still working with them."

The hospital cannot be demolished until the trust can provide a replacement for it.

Last month, the primary care trust's two planning proposals for a nursing home and a residential development on the site were rejected by West Oxford District Council.

In March, residents got together to form the Burford Healthcare Fund in order to raise £500,000 to try and buy the property and provide their own health facilities.