A DECISION on revised plans to build a new district general hospital at Knights Park, Tunbridge Wells, has been postponed.

A special meeting of the borough council's western area planning committee was called off on Monday to give more time for consideration. No date has yet been fixed for the committee to debate the issue.

Members were to have been recommended to uphold an earlier decision to refuse the scheme because it goes against local plan and green belt policies.

But it was agreed to wait so that new proposals from landowners, the Kilmartin Property Group, could be given a fair hearing.

Council chief executive Rodney Stone said Kilmartin had written to ask for more time to be given to its application.

He said: "We considered their request very seriously and whilst we didn't agree with all the points they made we did accept their concerns over, in particular, the timescales for consultation, and hence made the decision to cancel the meeting."

Mr Stone added: "The decision of Western Area Planning would not have been the final one as the application would have finally been decided by the Council's planning board."

A new hospital is needed to replace both Pembury Hospital and the Kent and Sussex Hospital, Tunbridge Wells.

Consent for building a new £282 million hospital on the Pembury site has already been granted to the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust.

But Kilmartin has proposed an alternative scheme at Knights Park, on the opposite side of the A21 and closer to Tunbridge Wells.

Spokesman Bruce Cova said: "We have gone to considerable lengths to respond to suggestions made at the earlier hearing on our previous application.

"For instance, the height of the ward blocks has been reduced by some two metres, and then the building has been sunk into the ground by two metres as well. The result is to reduce the perceived roof level by one whole floor.

"In addition, a grass bund has been created in front of the wards and heavily planted with trees so that in a matter of years the building would be effectively screened."