A public meeting offered a platform on Friday (August 10) for residents to discuss Epsom Hospital’s plans to sell off part of its land for flats.

Current proposals would see the sale of parts of the Epsom site, including York House and old accommodation block, to build 195 flats and 170 parking spaces.

The board meeting, held at Epsom Hospital on Friday at 9.30am, was attended by Chris Grayling, MP for Epsom and Ewell and secretary of state for transport, and Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of the NHS trust.

Speaking to the Surrey Comet, Chris Grayling said: “I think the Board were surprised by the strength of feeling, and appeared to back away from a sale for housing on the scale envisaged.

“More than 200 people came along, and they had to move the meeting into a bigger room. I have offered to work with the Trust to find a better way of dealing with the challenges they face.”

Martin Kimber, 24, of Hessle Grove, a law student who attended the meeting, said: “The trust is merely doing what it can by selling off the huge portion of land to stave off Conservative cuts caused by years of austerity.

“Mr Grayling appears to have been able to frame the trust as not acting competently by opposing this sell-off while denying austerity cuts have forced the hospital into this position.”

In a statement published online, Mr Elkeles said: “As lots of local people are aware, because of our ageing buildings and the way our services are currently configured, Epsom and St Helier cannot continue as we are forever.

“Before any decisions are made, there would be a public consultation so that local people can have their say about where they think this new facility should be built. “

Crispin Blunt, MP for Reigate, said: "I hope that the Trust will now be able to pursue plans to maximise capital assets to fund improvements across its entire catchment area.

"There is a point of principle here, that the NHS must be allowed to make independent decisions on how best to maximise capital assets to fund capital infrastructure projects that will provide improved services."