A hospital under threat of closure could be kept for community use if it is shut down.
Southwold Hospital's future is uncertain after the Waveney and Great Yarmouth Clinical Commissioning Group HealthEast proposed closing the site.
But Southwold Town Council has unanimously voted to nominate the historic hospital as an 'asset of community value'.
That would stop the building being sold for six months if the closure does go ahead - giving community groups valuable time to put together bids to keep it in public use.
John Perkins, chairman of the Southwold and Reydon Society, said: 'If it does have to close as a hospital under the current health service changes, people want to see it kept for use by the local community which is what it was intended for.
'They don't want to see it bought by a developer and demolished.'
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