HUNDREDS of homes across the area are falling into disrepair while key workers like nurses, health workers and teachers suffer because of housing crisis, say Waverley borough councillors.

Members of the community overview and scrutiny committee agreed at their meeting on Monday that an urgent letter should be written to the Secretary of State and the National Health Service about the disused housing at Milford and Farnham Hospitals.

Concerns were also raised that just over a third of an acre of land at the former ambulance station, with a price tag believed to be around three quarters of a million pounds, should not be sold to private developers.

Jacquie Keen, who represents Shottermill and who was involved with Milford Hospital as a health employee for more than 16 years, said: "The housing at Milford Hospital has been standing empty for so long, if it is left any longer it may deteriorate too much for use."

Speaking about the sale of the Haslemere ambulance station site in Grayswood Road, Morris Byham said: "I do not know why the land is being sold to private developers and I do not agree with the sale. The land should be used to provide suitable housing for health service staff."

Referring to land at Milford and Farnham Hospitals, he asked: "Have we considered whether it would be in our powers to carry out compulsory purchase of this land?"

He claimed the move to sell off 40 acres of housing development land at Milford and other land at Farnham "represented a missuse of government funding".

But Waverley's director of housing David January replied that he did not think it was within the council's legal powers, and said he would have to consult Waverley's legal staff to see if there was anything else that could be done.

Willie Marshall said: "We need to write to the government to point out the disgraceful state that these buildings have been left in. If it is happening in our borough, it is probably happening in other areas of the South East where housing is particularly expensive."

The neglect of accommodation, which had once been used as homes for local nurses, was mentioned by councillor for Farnham Castle, John Wootton.

He said: "I think it is disgraceful that buildings once used for housing the nurses in Farnham are empty, especially when this borough has a real shortage of low-cost housing."

In reply, Mr Januay told Mr Wootton that officers had tried to raise this issue on several occasions with West Surrey Health Authority and had been told that the National Health Authority Executive has recently appointed an officer to review the housing situation in the south east of England and London.

Other members of the committee agreed with Mr Wootton.

Commenting on how the restructure of health aurhorities into Primary Care Trusts would affect the situation, Mr Byham said: "I am disgusted by the way things are going with the health service.

"They are making all these changes which only seem to be creating more disturbances for nurses, management and all the staff below them."

Mr January agreed that a letter stating that the council was dissatisfied with the empty housing will be written to "appropriate" health service officers and the Secretary of State.