Speculation is taking place over the choice of site to replace a hospital that was built out of crumbling concrete.

Frimley Park Hospital serves thousands of patients in the Berkshire, Hampshire and Surrey tri-county area.

It is also one of the nearest general hospitals for patients in Bracknell, located about 12 miles away.

A new hospital is due to be built as the existing building was built out of  reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), which is less resilient than traditional concrete and poses a hazard as the material can crumble.

Frimley Park was therefore added to the government’s New Hospital Programme in May 2023.

But questions remain about where the new hospital will be built.

A recent update from Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, which stated a site for the new hospital had been chosen without revealing its location, along with increased speculation around the potential sale of land owned by the Frimley Fuel Allotments (FFA) charity for the redevelopment.

At a full meeting of Surrey Heath Borough Council, two motions relating to the planned new hospital site.

The first motion saw a majority of councillors voting to reaffirm the council’s support for a transparent and community-focused approach to the rebuild of Frimley Park Hospital.

The second motion saw a majority voting for a call for greater transparency and public accountability from the Frimley Fuel Allotments (FFA) charity in light of recent speculation around the potential sale of land to support the redevelopment of Frimley Park Hospital.

Councillor Shaun MacDonald (Liberal Democrats, Lightwater), the council leader, said: “The new hospital is a crucial project which will affect the people of Surrey Heath and its surrounds for decades to come.

“I was pleased to see support for these motions, and I call on the Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust Board to honour its own criteria for site selection for the new hospital, and publish the selection criteria and the scores for all the sites considered, in the interests of transparency.

“If the speculation about the chosen site being near Pine Ridge Golf Club is true, there are serious misgivings about its practicality and the knock-on effects on local people and infrastructure.”

He then said he will write to Wes Streeting, the Labour Health Secretary, to ensure the site fits relevant criteria and the wishes of patients, and work closely with Al Pinkerton, the Lib Dem MP for Surrey Heath, for the best outcome.

Cllr MacDonald has also called on the FFA Chair and Treasurer to answer questions about whether it may sell land to be used for a new hospital at a meeting of the council’s external partnerships select committee.