A PETITION with 17,000 signatures has been handed to Southend Council supporting plans for a new £15million hospice on green belt land in Leigh.

Fair Havens Hospice, based in Second Avenue, Westcliff, launched the petition in May to test public support for its plan to move to Leigh.

The petition, which was open for just over two months, attracted 17,000 signatures in favour of the new 16-bed modern hospice on green belt land off Belton Way West, adjoining Castle Drive, in Leigh.

The petition was handed into the council and it will go before planning chief Andrew Meddle before the application is considered by councillors on December 14.

Andy Smith, chief executive of Havens Hospices, said: “We understand some people feel strongly against our application, but at the 23 public forums we’ve held and through countless letters we have received overwhelming support for our proposals.

“We have been contacted by very few people who are against the proposals. Since we completed the petition, our supporters have been asking when we were going to hand it in.

“The council’s barometer whether an issue has enough public support to warrant discussion at a full council meeting is 1,000 signatures. We have 17,000 people whose voices need to be heard.

“We believe this to be the single largest issue within Southend that has attracted this level of support.

“Indeed, one of our supporters said to us this must be the first time a proposal on green belt has received so much endorsement, rather than opposition.”

The charity, which provides respite breaks and specialist end-of-life care to adults, wants to build a bigger adult hospice so it can care for more people.

It says following an extensive search of more than 80 sites, Belton Way is the most suitable location to provide the best and fullest care for patients. Last year Fair Havens Hospice, which along with Little Havens Children’s Hospice in Thundersley, is part of Havens Hospices, had to turn away 49 people who needed hospice care.

One of the problems with the current site is a lack of beds being available when they are needed.

The new hospice would mean twice as many patients could be cared for.

Campaigners against the proposal have said allowing green belt development is a huge cause for concern and another site should be found.

Protest group Save Our Green Belt has attracted hundreds of comments from residents vocal against the plans, although the group has not submitted a petition against the plan.

To find out more, visit www.havenshospices.

org.uk/newfairhavens