A Victorian former hospital could be demolished under plans by its owner to sell the site as a residential development.The Thetford Cottage Hospital was made redundant 18 months ago after health workers and patients moved to a new £4.

A Victorian former hospital could be demolished under plans by its owner to sell the site as a residential development.

The Thetford Cottage Hospital was made redundant 18 months ago after health workers and patients moved to a new £4.5m healthy living centre on the edge of the town.

NHS Norfolk, which owns the boarded-up site in Earls Street, has now submitted proposals to demolish the red-brick building to make way for 14 two-storey townhouses.

The health trust hopes that it will make the land more attractive to a property developer if it can secure planning permission from Breckland Council.

The former cottage hospital and 0.2ha site was put on the open market last year with a £350,000 price tag, but did not attract a buyer.

Keith Jarvis, head of estates for NHS Norfolk, said any money made from the sale would go into the health trust's capital programme for improvements and developments of other health estate properties.

“Earlier this year we marketed the property, with the old buildings in place, as a site for potential development, but in the current market place the site has not sold.

“We have therefore decided that marketing the site with the planning permission for 14 homes already in place, including permission for the demolition of the old buildings, would make it a much more appealing proposition for developers. It is important that we market the property as effectively as possible to ensure best value for the public purse,” he said.

Thetford Cottage Hospital was built in the late 1800s and was given to the people of the town by the Fison family and William Gentry.

A first world war memorial stone that was installed in the wall of the building's x-ray wing has already been removed over fears of it being demolished and is being stored by Thetford Town Council.

The planning application, which was submitted last week, includes proposals for nine two-bed houses and five three-bed houses and 14 car parking spaces. A flint and brick boundary screen wall is set to remain.

James Bamford, from Chaplin Farrant, agent for the scheme, added that the plans were in keeping with the surrounding terraced residential environment in the conservation area.