IN light of recent reports of 'bed blocking' problems in Hereford-shire, your report about the future of the 'old' Ledbury Cottage Hospital buildings (Ledbury Reporter, April 19) in the Homend is timely indeed.

Those who attended the town meeting in the Primary School hall at which we debated the future number of NHS beds available in Ledbury's new hospital will know that ex-Ledbury town councillor Derek Austin and our MP, Bill Wiggin, are not chasing shadows.

At that meeting, the Health Authority and Shaw Homes told us that their contract provides for the NHS, when necessary, to hire extra beds from Shaw Homes' private residential home on the same site. But, when asked whether an NHS patient would have priority in a 'last available bed' situation, no one would give the townspeople that assurance.

The contract is only for 25 years anyway and, there being neither contractual continuity nor certainty that Ledbury's NHS hospital provision can seamlessly and promptly expand and contract to meet this area's community hospital requirements, the retention of the Homend buildings (whether it be used for palliative, recuperative or respite care) is essential.

Nevertheless, your readers should be under no illusion that it will be achieved without a stern fight. On the grounds that the National Health Act which created the NHS does not permit it, the Health Authority has consistently stone-walled any suggestion the proceeds of selling the building can be devoted to Ledbury's needs. No doubt, since the property will have to be sold for 'best value' and is on a prime site in the town, the authority will be claiming it can only entertain a commercial (i.e. development) buyer.

Hospitals are a Class C2 use under the Town & Country Planning (Use Classes) Order; and there has been a hospital in the Homend for more than a century. Ledbury is now much, much larger than it was then and the 'bed blocking' problem proves there is no good reason to take out of the care system any building in Herefordshire that is in that C2 use category. In such circumstances no responsible local planning authority would grant the planning permission that must be obtained for such a change of use.

So, for those who want to help the town keep the gift of Michael Biddulph MP and make sure that the Health Authority provides adequately for Ledbury, the first step - and only the first step - is to write now to the Herefordshire Council's county secretary objecting to any grant of planning permission for change of use from C2, not only by any decision of the planning committee but, in particular, by any decision of officers made under the secretive and overly permissive delegated powers granted to them by the present council in the name of expediency.

SYLVIA M PICK, Woodfield Road, Deer Park, Ledbury.