COUNCILLORS who have fought hard to keep their local hospital open have voted overwhelmingly for plans that will lead to its closure.

A modern hospital on the edge of Wynyard Business Park was given outline planning permission by 11 votes to one by Hartlepool Borough Council’s planning committee last night.

Due to open in 2014, the £500m hospital, supported by a network of health centres, will replace North Tees Hospital, in Stockton, and Hartlepool General Hospital.

Councillors had initially opposed plans to shut down their local hospital, but were won over by promises that the new hospital will probably be the most up-to-date in the country.

Officials from the trust told councillors that the 568-bed hospital will be the first NHS hospital in England to have all of its patients in private rooms.

It will also be the greenest NHS hospital in England, generating its own electricity, which it will sell to National Grid.

Bosses from North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust are due to meet senior officials from the Department of Health in London on Friday to discuss funding.

Chief executive Alan Foster told councillors he was optimistic that the hospital would be built, despite the prospect of public sector cutbacks.

The hospital at Wynyard will be 90 per cent funded by public money and will need to be supported by the Treasury.

Councillor Edna Wright, who was the only member of the committee to vote against the proposal, said she could not support the application because of her concerns about public transport links.

Councillor Geoff Lilley, who has criticised plans for the hospital in the past, said he supported the wider NHS plan of treating more patients nearer to their homes, but said his major concern remained the location and the limited hourly bus service.

Outline planning permission was granted on condition that the hospital should not open until the proposed new bus services are operating and that changes to the junction of the A19/A689 to improve traffic flow are in place.

Wynyard resident Paul Richardson said it was scandalous that the new hospital was being built on pristine farm land.

Another Wynyard resident, Russell Grief, complained that the road network near the hospital would soon be “gridlocked”.