ALTERNATIVE plans for a new Tunbridge Wells district general hospital to be sited at Knights Park on the town's north-eastern perimeter have failed their first test.

A special meeting last night of the borough council's planning committee upheld officers' recommendations that the outline scheme be rejected.

But that decision still has to go before a meeting of the council's planning board on December 3, and even then the final word could still rest with the Secretary of State.

The minister is already considering Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust's own proposals to create a new £282 million, 595 bed hospital with 56 bed mental health unit at Pembury.

This would occupy the existing Pembury Hospital site and combine services currently provided there with those offered by the Kent and Sussex Hospital in Tunbridge Wells town centre.

The scheme has already won the blessing of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council after going through the planning process earlier this year.

But the Kilmartin Property Group, owners of Knights Park and the company behind the alternative scheme, argued that its hospital could be built more quickly, more cheaply and with less disruption.

Knights Park is already home to the Odeon cinema and Bowlplex leisure complexes, and Kilmartin claims it would take 3.5 years to build a hospital there, rather than 5.5 years at Pembury.

It also believes it could achieve this with savings of up to £30 million over the NHS Trust proposals. It has said it will appeal if Tunbridge Wells Borough Council refuses consent for its scheme.

David Peck, director of Kilmartin Properties, insisted: "There is substantial public support for the Knights Park solution.

"We have spoken to thousands and thousands of local residents over the past months and the level of support has been overwhelming.

"That nearly 650 people have signed letters of support is in my experience unique, and apart from those immediately affected by our proposals only 17 other objections have been received."

But Cllr Roy Bullock (Con), council Cabinet member for planning and transportation, said the proposed site at Knights Park was designated as Rural Fringe land.

"That means it is in a long-term bank for the future development of the town, and we're not convinced it should be released for development at this time," he said.

Officers felt the Kilmartin scheme would also have a poor impact on the landscape and adjoining residential area, and had not provided sufficiently for public transport.