MEMBERS of the public are to be asked their views on a multi-million pound new health centre for Nelson.

The wraps were last week taken off three new health centres as part of a massive scheme to bring East Lancashire's rundown complexes into the 21st century.

Nelson, Bacup and Darwen will be the first areas to benefit from the LIFT project, private/public sector link-up between developers and health trusts across the area.

The Nelson scheme involves the £11million transformation of the grade two listed Victorian warehouse, Yarnspinner's Wharf.

It will house three GP practices and other medical services including dentists, physiotherapists, complimentary medicine and podiatry. The building has been secured on a 125-year lease from British Waterways. Work, which involves revamping the building and adding an adjacent extension, will begin next spring and is expected to take 18 months to complete.

The PCT decided the existing Nelson Health Centre, in Leeds Road, was overcrowded and did not meet the current or future needs of the community.

A meeting has been arranged for Thursday from 6.30-7.30pm at Northern Technologies in Netherfield Road where members of the public will be able to meet the design team and project managers and put forward ideas for the scheme.

Health chiefs have chosen Bamber Bridge-based developers Eric Wright Group as their partner and £65million will be invested in the next five to seven years in transforming and building new health centres.