A £50 million regeneration of Harefield Hospital is being planned after the chief executive branded current facilities 'a disgrace'.

However questions marks have already been raised over the plans after it emerged they could involve building housing on up to 10 acres of Green Belt.

Many buildings at the hospital in Hill End Road, Harefield are still as they were built in 1910 and the 1920s, and now the Trust has gained Foundation status, they have the financial capability to expand.

Bob Bell, chief executive officer, of the Royal Brompton and Harefield Foundation Trust, was speaking at the Harefield Tenants and Residents Assocation AGM on Thursday.

He said: "We just can't go on as we are, now is the time to rebuild. We are working on the process with architects at the moment.

"We are not talking petty change here, there will be up to £50 million spent on Harefield."

The money is all the Trust's own money, and redevelopments will not be funded by the NHS.

Capital is raised for the hospital by taking patients from primary care trusts across the country, research projects, fundraising, and private donations.

This however is looking unlikely to be enough to fund the redevelopments, which also involve a £300 million facelift at the Royal Brompton Hospital in Chelsea.

"We are looking at building social housing, we own 45 acres of land in Harefield, but the hospital only needs 14-15.

"Could 10 acres be put towards a partnership process with a developer? Possibly yes."

Residents listening to Mr Bell reacted angrily upon hearing this, deducing that the hospital could in fact be working in cohorts with Comer Homes, the company behind the destruction work at the Medi Parc, which Mr Bell was quick to deny.

"We find out about what is going on at the Medi Parc like everybody else by reading the Gazette, we have nothing to do with them.

"As their nearest neighbours, we are watching them like a hawk."

As they should, for if 80 apartments were given planning permission at the Medi Parc, it would make the hospital's own regeneration plans more difficult.

"I am speculating on what our architects may come up with, but we are looking at either housing, or facilities of a communal nature to help us generate funds, borrowing money is not for us."

Housing projects will also be considered in wealthy Chelsea, where land is more valuable to developers than in Harefield.

Councillor and London Assembly member Richard Barnes told the Gazette after the meeting the move could be seen as 'asset stripping', and he would be monitoring developments closely.

A planning application is expected in late 2010 or early 2011, with a full consultation process.

What do you think of the proposals? E-mail editorialuxbridge@trinitysouth.co.uk