An ambulance station put up for sale despite a community backlash could now be turned into flats.

The site in Winchelsea Road, Dover, is on the market for £375,000 and “may well be suitable for development schemes”, according to estate agents.

But a petition signed by hundreds of residents raises concerns that people’s lives could be put a risk if the site is fully closed.

Ambulances have not been based at the station for many years – apart from during a brief period in the run-up to the UK leaving the EU. But today it is still used as a “community response post” by paramedics who are covering the area or in between jobs.

Estate agents say since the property has been put up for sale, it has already been attracting interest from prospective buyers.

The 0.52-acre brownfield site includes a warehouse area and two two-storey office buildings with a basement.

Chartered surveyor from Sibley Pares Matt Sadler says it could be transformed into a range of different uses, such as flats.

"The site may well be suitable for redevelopment schemes, such as residential flat or house schemes, subject to obtaining full planning consent,” he said.

“However, there has also been interest from applicants for its existing industrial use.

“There has been good interest so far, but it is still relatively early days in its marketing."

For more than a decade, when paramedics in east Kent start their shifts, they have been picking up their ambulances from the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, rather than local stations like in Dover.

However, the Winchelsea Road site was temporarily re-established as a reporting base for about a year as part of plans to prepare for potential traffic disruption when the Brexit transition period came to an end on December 31, 2020.

It has since returned to its previous use as a response post. There is also a response post at Beechwood Business Park in Whitfield.

Petition organiser Amy Jordan called for the Winchelsea Road station to remain fully staffed, highlighting that Dover does not have an A&E department.

She wrote: “With Dover being the main ferry gateway to England from Europe it is worrying to know that our nearest ambulance station will now be a 30-minute drive from Ashford or a 35-minute drive from Thanet.

“Not only do we not have an accident and emergency unit we will also not have a local ambulance station.

“This will be a serious concern to the people of Dover meaning that the call-out response time could be longer.”

She said if there were additional delays due to port traffic in the town “this could potentially put people's lives at risk”.

The petition was signed by 775 people.

There is no stipulation that the Winchelsea Road site must continue to be used as a response post following the sale.