SOME sort of memorial or tribute should be made to Pershore's Cottage Hospital should the building be demolished, say the town council.

At a meeting of the council members said they would like to see some sort of plaque or retention of as much of the frontage of the building as possible in memory to the people of the town who raised money for the building.

Pershore Cottage Hospital was built in 1895 but has remained empty since 2003 when it was closed by Worcestershire Primary Care Trust, its owners at the time, because of a £5 million funding deficit.

But there was a divide on the council as to how much of the building could be saved.

Cllr John Grantham said: "I know there has been a great deal of sentiment about this building that will now be demolished. To satisfy those people why don't we have a plaque on that street saying that on this site stood the cottage hospital."

But Cllr Charles Tucker asked if it were not possible to retain the frontage of the hospital.

"I think there's an awful lot of heartfelt sentiment in the town about Pershore Cottage Hospital," he said. "Many people in the town remember it with great fondness and the fund raising was done locally to build the cottage hospital.

"There is a feeling that we want to preserve as much of it as we possibly can. I am not convinced having a plaque on the street is enough.

"Ideally it would be nice to keep part of the frontage."

And Cllr David Annis said people in Pershore would not understand why the building no longer belonged to them but was now in the hands of the NHS.

Mayor Cllr Tony Rowley ended the discussion suggesting perhaps some of the materials could be retained in any new development on the site.

"The hospital is obviously not just about bricks and mortar. I think the biggest legacy from the Cottage Hospital is the Pershore Hospital we have at the moment," he added.