There has been much joy exhibited regarding the Government’s approval of a grant of £420 million in order to rebuild the Royal Sussex County Hospital after several years of lobbying.

The glad tidings were announced by the Chancellor, George Osborne, during his recent visit to the city, and was warmly welcomed by MPs and councillors of all parties.

However, what a shame that patients housed in temporary buildings over a period of ten years will be subjected to extreme noise and dust and dirt from the demolition and subsequent rebuilding of the Barry and Jubilee buildings. Asthma, lung and heart patients beware.

What a pity that the whole of the local area will be plagued by the same problems in addition to the chaos caused by the substantially increased volume of heavy traffic.

How regretful that even when the development is completed (probably some years after 2024 as it is almost unknown for projects of this size to be completed on time) the brand new hospital will still be in entirely the wrong location, given that A&E ambulances will still have to transport their patients through heavy traffic in order to reach the hospital.

Access by patients would be far more difficult during this period and obviously all parking facilities for consultants, other staff and the public will be severely depleted.

But it is never too late for a U-turn rather than go ahead with a disastrous idea.

I have previously pointed out in this newspaper (Letters, December 2, 2013) that the Toads Hole Valley site, currently zoned for a large development of social housing and services, would be a perfect location for a brand-new hospital. It is on the A23 and A27 and easily accessible from all parts of Sussex.

New plans could be delivered within a year by amending details of successful new-build hospitals in other areas and learning from any mistakes. Add another year for quantity surveying and obtaining new quotes. And three years should be ample time to build from scratch.

It would certainly be completed far sooner than the currently planned hospital.

With the brand new facility up and running, the old hospital should be demolished and the precious brownfield site utilised for much-needed social housing and services, which would be far better situated that the currently proposed Toads Hole Valley site, being on several major bus routes and close to the centre.

Surely this must be a better prospect – or am I just being too optimistically simplistic?

Ivor Sorokin, The Spinney, Hove

It is disingenuous of Mark Laverick (Letters, May 5) to state the rebuild of this hospital is to help the Conservatives at the next election bearing in mind there was no money in the Treasury to fund this project when they came into power in 2010, four years ago.

Maybe he can explain why this work was not done by the previous Government in its 13 years in control as this rebuild has been waiting for a long time.

Bill Wood, Solway Avenue, Brighton

Right time for charity Friends Of Brighton And Hove Hospitals is delighted that funding has finally been confirmed, after many years of discussion with successive governments, for the re-development of the Royal Sussex County Hospital.

The new hospital will provide exceptional district general hospital facilities for patients and a safer modern environment for staff to deliver the best possible care.

Importantly, excellent major trauma centre services will mean patients requiring specialist attention no longer have to travel to London or other centres for treatment.

Everyone in Brighton and Hove who uses our hospital will benefit from this investment in healthcare in the city.

The Friends have been supporting local NHS services for more than 60 years; in 2013 this charity purchased equipment worth more than £125,000 for our hospitals.

The NHS will never have enough money to meet all the demands placed upon it and if you wish to say thank you for the care and attention you have received, please support the Friends by making a donation so we can continue to help provide specialist equipment that really does make a difference to patient care.

Glynn Jones chairman, Friends Of Brighton And Hove Hospitals