Coventry Area Health Authority today vowed to make a decision on the city’s new hospital within a fortnight after another postponement.

The decision was due to be announced today but a meeting has been cancelled as the authority weighs up the merits of the Coventry and Warwickshire and Walsgrave Hospital sites.

The City Council heavily back a city centre development while the Walsgrave Hospitals Trust want the new development at Walsgrave.

Christopher Howgrave-Graham, health authority chief executive, said there were two main issues that needed to be decided.

He said:

"We have had a lot of comments back from the consultation and have raised 20 issues which need to be looked at and clarified.

"The first is not really to do with the siting. We had to make sure about bed numbers to fulfil all the requirements and produce an affordable hospital.

"Secondly there were still questions of siting. We know we have a viable option at Walsgrave which is both doable and affordable but we have to make sure of the same thing for the city centre site.

"There have been questions raised about decanting services to Walsgrave and some people have suggested a partial decant on the site while development starts.

"We literally only got the architect’s plans just before Easter and we are making sense of them and looking at all the implications. We need a bit more time to day that.

"We are also still looking at a Green Travel Plan to encourage people to use public transport. That would apply whichever site is chosen."

Mr Howgrave-Graham denied another delay would harm the PFI scheme.

"It is not damaging it at all. This is a major decision for the city and we want to be completely informed before we make it."