NHS could sell land from Colchester and Harwich Hospitals

A document released as part of the NHS’s plan to sell surplus land has revealed that land at Colchester and Harwich hospitals could be sold if it is deemed surplus to requirements.

The hospitals are currently under the "opportunities" bracket of the NHS Surplus Land plan.

The NHS’s Surplus Land data quality report defines this as "opportunities for disposal where the plot could be declared surplus by the landowner (and disposal strategy developed)".

The estimated sales receipt of Colchester Hospital land is £200,000 with the estimated value of Harwich’s land is £450,000.

The land area for sale is 600 sq m  for Colchester and 1,000 sq m for Harwich.

NHS Essex has made more than £600,000 from the sale of three sites in Clacton, Corringham and Frinton with potentially millions of pounds waiting to be generated by selling plots in Colchester and Tendring.

The East of England Ambulance Service agreed the sale of Clacton Ambulance Station for £157,047, as well as the sale of Frinton Road Medical Centre for £301,000.

The NHS Long Term Plan hopes that the NHS will better its use of land, buildings and equipment, aiming to dispose of unnecessary land for reinvestment.

The plan also states it will support the Government’s ambition to build new homes for NHS staff.

Part of this plan would allow NHS workers first refusal on affordable homes build on surplus land.

The Government believes this will aid around 3,000 families nationwide.

The NHS Surplus Land collection is mandatory for all NHS sites, including ambulance trusts. The collection relates to sold, surplus and potentially surplus land.

It also records potential housing capacity on the land area in the financial year it is sold.

As of March 2022, 441 plots of land have been declared as surplus, or potential surplus by more than 100 trusts. Of these, 67 have already been sold.

The sale of these plots has generated an estimated sales receipt of £94.07 million.