The trustees of St Peter's Hospice have said they are "very sorry" that a hospice in Bristol is closing – but they will not be going back on their decision.

Speaking at an invitation-only event at Bristol Zoo yesterday, attended by about 50 people, a panel of the charity's trustees fielded questions from people opposing the move, as well as those supporting it.

The closure of the Knowle hospice was announced in July after managers decided they could not afford the cost of continually patching up the 112-year-old building.

The charity will continue to run its purpose-built site in Brentry, and its community team will be based in south Bristol.

The vice-chair of the trustees, Robert Bourns, whose parents founded the charity, said: "It was a difficult decision and nobody made it with any sort of enthusiasm."

He added: "We are very sorry that people feel hard done by."

The Agnes Avenue site will close its doors to all patients by the end of the year, but its day hospice service closed in August.

Several members of the audience voiced their concerns that more people in south Bristol would now die in hospital – but the panel insisted that there would be no fewer beds available after the closure than before, and that they were working hard on improving the care they can offer people in their own homes.

Angela Humphries, 60, who is retired and lives in Knowle, lost her husband Gary in February when he died in the Knowle hospice. She accused the trustees of treating Bristol residents "with disdain" and questioned their lack of public consultation.

She said: "I think it is absolutely tragic that south Bristol is losing out on vital provision."

Mr Bourns said the charity was not a public body and therefore did not have to follow the same rules of consultation as one, but that he felt the right decision had been made.

Pat Dunsford, 71, of Whitchurch, has been a volunteer with the charity for 27 years since her first husband Tony died of leukaemia,

She told the panel: "Lots of people are saying very negative things to you.

"But I would like to say that the building in Knowle is falling down. Brentry is a nicer building."

Speaking after the meeting, Sandi Foxall-Smith, chief executive of St Peter's Hospice, said: "We can now move on. These discussions will continue around the city – the trustees are not afraid of talking about it and we want to make sure people know why this has happened.

"But this is not a decision we will be going back on."