I have requested a formal pause to the sale of the Littlehampton Hospital land, contacted Arundel Castle Archives about a 1911 Deed of Gift, and demanded the full disposal record from NHS Property Services.
Thank you to everyone who has completed my survey, contacted my office, or shared their concerns since the proposed sale of land at the former Littlehampton Hospital came to light. The response has been enormous. I said I would pursue every credible avenue to establish how this happened and whether the sale can be stopped. That work is now under way.
I have contacted Arundel Castle Archives after several residents identified an important entry in its catalogue. Reference CD74 records a Deed of Gift dated 22 August 1911 from Henry, 15th Duke of Norfolk, to trustees of land at Littlehampton “for a Cottage Hospital”. I have asked for a complete copy of the deed, including any plan, schedule, endorsement, or related record.
We need to establish exactly which land the deed covers and the terms on which it was given. In particular, I am looking for any covenant, charitable purpose, condition, restriction, right of re-entry, or provision governing what should happen if the land ceased to be used as a hospital. The catalogue entry alone does not prove that any restriction has been breached. It does, however, raise questions that must be properly examined before this land is sold.
I have therefore asked Martin Steele, Chief Executive of NHS Property Services, to provide a formal standstill undertaking. In plain English, I want a firm commitment that NHS Property Services will not enter into any binding agreement, exchange contracts, or complete a sale while the title, the 1911 deed, the disposal process, and any restrictions affecting the land are being investigated.
I have also written again to Martin seeking the full paper trail behind the proposed sale. Among other matters, I have asked NHS Property Services to disclose:
- who declared the land surplus, when the decision was made, and who authorised the disposal;
- whether a Property Vacation Notice was completed and the required public-sector disposal process was followed;
- whether another NHS organisation, council, or public body expressed an interest in the site;
- what assessment was made of local healthcare needs and possible alternative NHS uses;
- when NHS Property Services, the local Trust, the Integrated Care Board, and NHS England first discussed the sale;
- whether the 1911 gift, any charitable status, and any restrictions affecting the land were identified and examined;
- how far the sale has progressed, including whether offers have been received or a preferred bidder selected; and
- how the proceeds would be divided, what costs would be deducted, and whether keeping the full net amount locally has been considered.
These are substantive questions. They will tell us whether the land was properly declared surplus, whether there was an opportunity to preserve it for public or healthcare use, and whether its history places any restrictions on the sale or the money raised from it. NHS Property Services has confirmed that it is looking into the concerns I have raised. I have requested urgent answers on the live sale process and a clear timetable for disclosure of the remaining information.
My position remains firm. The proposed sale should be stopped. If NHS Property Services proceeds regardless, every penny of the net proceeds must remain in Bognor Regis and Littlehampton and be ring-fenced for the repair, refurbishment, and reopening of Zachary Merton as a functioning community hospital.
Please continue completing and sharing my survey, even if you have already contacted me separately. Every response gives me stronger evidence to take directly to NHS leaders and Government Ministers. Thank you again to everybody who has already taken part and helped spread the word.
