Councillors clashed last night (Wednesday) over the future of the proposed health campus as the town’s Conservatives warned they could not guarantee the scheme if their party wins next year’s general election.

The £1 billion project, to mix acute health services with a range of educational and leisure facilities, was expected to win full planning permission in the second half of 2010.

Its future, however, was dramatically thrown into doubt last month by Hemel Hempstead MP and Conservative shadow health minister Mike Penning.

Mr Penning, speaking to the Watford Observer, warned a Conservative government would launch a review into project – on which some £40 million has already been spent.

He said: “If we start from scratch for a hospital looking after three big areas, it wouldn't be in the middle of either Watford, Hemel or St Albans.

“It's stuck next to a football club. It's not the right place for a large acute hospital that will look after everybody.”

At a tempestuous Town Hall meeting last night, Watford Borough Council agreed a motion “deploring” the apparent threat posed by Mr Penning and a future Conservative government to the project.

Councillor Nigel Bell (Labour) said: “People in Watford and the surrounding area thought that the question over the future of the health campus had been settled. Therefore it is sad Mr Penning has raised this again.

“It is very important that we send a clear message to Mr Penning and to the Conservatives nationally.”

Councillor Iain Sharpe (Liberal Democrat) warned Mr Penning’s suggestion would be a “disaster for the town” and called for a “clear repudiation” from Conservative group leader Councillor Andrew Mortimer.

Councillor Mortimer, however, warned his party could give no guarantees until they had fully examined the state of the Government’s finances – something it would only be able to do if and when it won the general election, likely to be held in June.

He said: “A Conservative government can’t guarantee anything being spent on very large projects until after the election. I can’t give a commitment to the health campus until we know if funding is available.”

He added: “I can assure you that if there is a chance to continue with the campus then Richard Harrington [Conservative Parliamentary candidate for Watford] will be the first person hammering on the doors of ministers.”

Mr Penning, speaking this morning (Thursday), suggested his critics were “electioneering” and “scaremongering” on the issue.

He added: “What we have said is that when we come to power there would be a moratorium on closures and what would follow would be a clinical review on services – led by clinicians and not politicians.”

Mr Harrington also sought to reassure voters of his support for the project. He said: “The health campus is a fantastic thing. If I am elected I will be fighting at the top level of government to get the funding for it.”