Plans to build a new hospital in Spring Hill remain on hold after a new decision by a state judge.

Last year, HCA won approval from the state to establish a 56-bed hospital in the town. But the proposal faced heavy opposition from nearby Williamson Medical Center and Maury Regional Hospital. They filed an appeal, which was granted yesterday.

In his opinion, Judge Leonard Pogue discounted a report that the city of Spring Hill will continue to grow at record pace.

But supporters don’t plan to give up. David Huebner leads the grassroots organization Citizens for Spring Hill Hospital. He says there are already enough people in Spring Hill to justify a new facility.

“You’ve got cities all over Tennessee that are not near as large as we are, or in our ballpark-Hendersonville, Gallatin, Springfield, similar name, which has far fewer people than we do and they all are supporting and handling hospitals, and so there’s precedent out there.”

Huebner expects HCA to appeal the Judge’s ruling. He hopes the case will go back to the state’s Health Services and Development Agency. That’s the panel that initially approved the hospital application by a vote of seven to one.