Rumours that the Whitstable and Tankerton Hospital could be sold off for development have been quashed by health bosses.

The future of the site, in Northwood Road, has been questioned by residents as a major healthcare development on the Estuary View Business Park was approved in the summer.

The Gazette reported in August that a new hospital, nursing home and sheltered housing scheme could be open on the business park as early as next year.

Dr John Ribchester, one of the key figures behind the plans, said at the time that he anticipated that the 18 beds currently in Whitstable and Tankerton Hospital would move to the new community hospital at Estuary View.

But a spokesman from NHS Canterbury and Coastal Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said last week that there is “no proposal to sell” the Whit and Tank site.

Spokesman Alex McNally said: “There is no proposal to sell Whitstable and Tankerton hospital and the CCG is currently not planning to change any services being offered for patients.

“As we look at our plans for the future across our area, we want to make sure that more health and social care services are available in the community.

“We will work closely with patients and GPs to make sure that all of our services are providing the right care in the right place.”

"There is no proposal to sell Whitstable and Tankerton hospital and the CCG is currently not planning to change any services being offered for patients..." - Alex McNally

Rumours about the hospital’s future were aired at a recent annual general meeting of the Marine Parade residents association.

Former association chairman Norman Fox said: “There has been this rumour around because of the possibility of Estuary View being expanded.

“It came up in 2011 and Julian Brazier got involved in it and was strongly against Whitstable and Tankerton being lost as a hospital and then it all went quiet.

“Without knowing if there’s anything behind the story it’s very difficult to comment.

“Local people would be very disappointed to lose what we used to call our cottage hospital.”

An NHS Property Services spokesman, which owns the site, said: “We only dispose of properties that have been declared surplus to NHS requirements by NHS commissioners.

“As this property has not been declared surplus, we have no plans to sell it.”