Thank you again for allowing me the opportunity to explain to your readers why I need them to support my petition calling for a New A&E Hospital in a more accessible location to serve all of West Herts.

The petition has just over three months to run and has achieved 3,500 signatures to date.

This could be your readers last chance to influence the Government’s decision on West Herts Hospital Trust’s redevelopment plans for Watford General Hospital.

I can understand why Watford’s local politicians wish to back the trust’s plans to redevelop Watford General Hospital over a decade ,but are their reasons the best for those who will need to use and work at West Herts’ only A&E hospital?

All three current hospitals in West Herts are located close to town and city centres. This was ideal when populations were smaller and there was less congestion. New shopping centres have moved outside town centres because there is more available space to build, better road and public transport links. Football clubs are now building new stadiums rather than redeveloping their existing grounds because it is more cost effective and less disruptive. There is also the revenue return from disposing of their former grounds which are often then used for much needed housing. The new stadium is then purpose built and not constrained by the existing stadium footprint and landscape shortcomings. Lessons can be be learnt from these examples.

Your readers need to decide whether they will be happy with such major redevelopment works going on at Vicarage Road for the next decade and come 2030, whether the redeveloped A&E hospital will cope any better than it does today.

If they agree with me that it is not and they want a brand new, purpose built hospital on a more suitable greenfield site, then they need to support my petition.

As campaigners, we can only do so much - We need your readers to help by signing the petition below and spreading the link through social media. https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/202644

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and investment to get the A&E Hospital we so desperately need!

Andy Love

By email