CLEVEDON’S Cottage Hospital could be demolished to make way for 14 new houses in the town.

NHS North Somerset has compiled plans that would see the Old Street site used for housing once a new community hospital is built at Millcross in Clevedon.

The current hospital building would be demolished and the site excavated near to road level to allow for 14 two and three-bed houses to be built.

There would be 37 parking spaces, front and back gardens and two vehicle accesses to the site from Old Street. Each house, apart from two near to the rear of the site, would also have steps up from the pavement in Old Street.

The buildings will be created to continue the existing Victorian terrace style of neighbouring properties with rendered walls and stonewalled gardens and they will be two-and-a-half storeys high with living space in the roof.

The neighbouring Seasons Office building will be marketed separately for office use.

Clevedon Town Council chairman Colin Hall has welcomed the proposals.

He said: “I think the plans are marvellous.

“They have gone to great lengths to create enough parking and give two accesses.

“This is definitely the best thing that could be done with the site.”

NHS North Somerset plans to submit an outline planning application to North Somerset Council before the end of the year and it is hoped that if permission is granted, this will increase the value of the site for it to be sold.

NHS North Somerset is duty bound to get the maximum sale value from the old site with the funds then going toward the delivery of health services.

If outline permission is granted, a condition will be added to ensure the old hospital is not demolished until the new �19million facility is in operation.

As it is only an outline application due to be submitted this year, any new owners will have to submit a full application confirming the finer details of the project.