BUILDERS are set to plough ahead with constructing Malvern's new health centre shortly as work on bulldozing the site draws to a close.

Malvern Hills District Council has offered South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust part of its old depot site in Pickersleigh Road for a health centre on the condition it builds a new community hospital in the town.

Work has been going ahead since last November on demolishing the old buildings on the depot site.

It is expected to be complete by the end of this month, with the news coming after the council moved into its new £1m depot at Pendragon Close last month.

Nigel Higenbottam, assistant director of primary care with the PCT, said building work was due to start on site in April and aimed to be completed by summer 2007.

Before building work can start though, a clean-up operation will be carried out as the site used to be home to a gasworks.

Kevin Douglas, the district council's strategic director for council governance, said that he was delighted with how the work was progressing.

He added: "So far, the weather has been very fortunate for us and it's going really well.

"Hopefully, it'll remain that way, especially when we get into the clean-up, because that's quite a complex process."

The remainder of the old depot site will be used for housing development, with the council set to approach the five registered social landlords for offers.

It is, however, unlikely any development would start until the health centre is complete. Meanwhile, the project board for the new Malvern hospital is set to submit an agreed outline business case for the scheme at its next meeting on Wednesday, February 1.

The preferred site for the development is the town's Seaford Court, although the PCT is considering all of the options that are highlighted in the outline business case.

The board will then consider it for submission to the Strategic Health Authority, before the PCT can begin the task of selecting a preferred developer for the scheme.