FUMING locals living next to a stripped back skeleton of a £35million hospital have blasted the building as a “giant cigarette bin”.
Neighbours are furious at the “monstrosity” of Berwick Community Hospital for blighting their view.
They have said it should have never been built and fear it will mean they can never sell their homes.
The 10,000 sq. m development in is being stripped to its steel skeleton after building work found to be sub-standard.
Its original £25million budget has already spiralled by another £10million after legal experts took over penniless construction firm Merit in late 2025.
Electrics, pipework, internal walls, and exterior all have to go, with only the main structural steelwork remaining.
Pensioner Tom Young, 78, whose home backs onto the site, said the six-year saga had “destroyed years of my life”.
He said: “It’s a nightmare we’re all just living through.
“You wake up in the morning and it’s just there and you can see it wherever you go.
“Anyone looking through the large windows will see straight into our bedroom. It’s horrendous.”
Another neighbour compared the development to a giant bin.
They said: “It’s bad enough they built a hospital which is not fit for purpose on our doorsteps, but it actually looks like a cigarette bin you see mounted outside office blocks.
“It’s very intrusive, patients and staff will have full views of our both inside and out.
“When I moved into this flat I had uninterrupted views across the town and all the way to the Cheviot Hills in the distance. Now my view is an ugly grey building which blocks out the light.
“I actually have nothing against a hospital being built on the site but not this size and not some giant meccano set which is not in keeping with the area.
“This historic area is in Berwick’s conservation area. It’s been ruined by this carbuncle and I doubt we’ll ever sell our homes.”
Tom, who lives with wife Hilda, 75, is the seventh generation of his family to have lived in his fishermen’s cottage in Berwick.
He said: “The hospital should never have been built here. This is a sensitive conservation area of the town.
“The building completely obliterates the rooftop view of the town and the narrow roads around it are completely unsuitable to cope with the additional traffic.”
New contractor Robertson has since been working with Northumbria Healthcare to establish what needs to be done.
The extra bill is currently unknown, with NHS bosses saying the work could affect the trust’s wider capital programme and require extra funding from NHS or the Department for .
Northumbria Healthcare’s executive director of estates and facilities Damon Kent defended the project.
He said: “We know that everyone is frustrated with the position we are in.
“We are also very disappointed and want to assure everyone that we are doing everything we can to progress our new hospital as quickly as we can.
“It has been a difficult period as there are complexities around a new contractor taking over the incomplete work of another company.
“Although it has been quiet on site, a huge amount of work has been carried out behind the scenes over the last few months, and we are very pleased to be working with Robertson Construction.
“Our key priority must always be to ensure that our new Berwick hospital meets all the required standards, and we want it to be the best it can for our patients, staff and future generations.
“We remain in close contact with residents. I think everybody in Berwick feels the pain of this, it is very difficult.”
Construction firms Robertson and Merit have been contacted for comment.
