A PRIME site in Malvern's Church Street could be developed for social housing, after suggestions of a new doctors' surgery were withdrawn.

Birmingham-based housing association FCH Housing and Care is preparing a scheme for 44 homes at the former Malvern Hills District Council treasurers site.

Malvern's Avenue Road surgery, which has outgrown its premises, was previously working with Prime UK, of Worcester, to develop a new surgery on the site.

But Barry Panton, of Prime UK, said they were now looking at other possibilities.

District councillors did not want to see the splitting up of the site, which includes two buildings, Whitbourne Lodge and Milbourne Lodge, with a large car park.

FCH spokesman Andrew Marsh said the association wanted to provide a mixture of rented accommodation and shared ownership, by which people buy a 50 per cent share in the property and pay rent on the rest. It already has 140 properties for rent in Malvern, but has no homes in shared ownership.

Mr Marsh said the scheme was still the subject of negotiation and he was unable to say exactly what form the plans would take, but there would be a public consultation period before a formal planning application was submitted.

MHDC's head of development control David Murray said there was likely to be an exhibition and consultation on the proposals in the next couple of months.