Plans to demolish an NHS building in Surbiton to replace it with nearly 60 homes could harm residents’ long-term health.

That was one response to a consultation on the future of 187 Ewell Road – the red-brick former primary care trust office and stores. Bob Phillips argues the site is ideal for rehab beds, which have largely vanished in recent years.

“We used to have rehabilitation beds at Surbiton Hospital, but they were abandoned when the medical centre was developed,” said the local author and historian. “We had rehab beds at Tolworth Hospital, but lost them when the mental health trust repossessed the whole site. Now there are no rehab beds.”

He believes the site is ideally positioned, but the NHS property services agency – charged with offloading underused sites – proposes a 59-home scheme; six storeys replacing the current two.

“Housing is important,” concedes Bob. “But if we lose this site, the chances of getting rehab beds back again is low. It’s a no-brainer; it’s a property with a vital health use. There are other places for housing.”

Bob, 68, whose mother was a Tolworth Hospital rehab patient, fears Surbiton’s long-term health is being sacrificed for short-term profit.

He says rehab beds free up hospital acute beds, and that cash made by selling the site would be rapidly burned up by alternative NHS spending.

The agency consultation will inform a planning application to be submitted to Kingston Council.

The old NHS site at 187 Ewell Road… 59 homes are proposed