BACKERS of plans for a new health centre in central Malvern have bid for part of the former District Council treasurers site.

A decision on the future of the Church Street site is expected next month.

There are two competing uses for the site, which has been declared as surplus by Malvern Hills District Council.

One plan is to use it for purely social housing and the other is a joint use as housing and for a health centre.

Malvern's Avenue Road surgery, which looks after about 8,000 patients, is keen to move to the site because it has outgrown its present building.

Prime UK, which specialises in developing primary care centres nationally, has put in an offer for part of the site on behalf of the surgery.

Leighton Chumbley, development manager for Prime, said the Avenue Road practice is very cramped now.

"The treasurer's building would provide at least double the amount of space," he said.

"The surgery gets patients from all over Malvern but it's the only practice that serves Great Malvern as a town and the danger is that if they can't get a town centre site they will have to look elsewhere. There is no option to extend the present site," he said.

"The desire is to provide primary care facilities in the town centre and that is quite important for the residents," said Mr Chumbley.

The second offer is from Friendship Charnwood, a housing association, which would buy the site and lease part of it to Prime UK or alternatively develop the whole site for housing.

The site includes two buildings, Whitbourne Lodge and Milbourne Lodge, as well as a large area currently used as a car park.

It is currently leased by ARCOS, a communications charity.

An MHDC decision is expected at the next Executive Board meeting on Tuesday, September 19.