THE health needs in the Accrington Road area of Burnley are set to be met with a new Community Health Care Centre.

The former Howard Street Nursery is being altered to form a centre providing dental care, walk-in consultations with a nurse, health group sessions for groups such as the over 55s and men, and other counselling sessions.

The scheme is to be funded by the council's Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, which is contributing £322,000 and the NHS which has put in £105,000 for the next 12 months.

Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Primary Care Trust, which will run the centre, then hopes these two contributors will continue to fund the centre's running costs of £100,000 a year.

It was decided there was a need for such a facility after a 'citizens' jury' was assembled to discuss local health and social care issues relating to south-west Burnley in June 2002.

Tim Mansfield head of the Primary Care Trust's multi-agency service department explained:

"The need for it came out of the citizens' jury then we needed to look at what was available in the area."

At the moment the building is just being occupied by a dentist, on hand to treat people who are not registered and need emergency treatment.

From June a nurse will take up residence and see people on a drop-in basis.

"She will deal with minor ailments taking some of the burden off GPs in the vicinity," explained Mr Mansfield.

He added: "The big room at the back was the main nursery room. We have put a bid into the Community Children's Fund for an anti-bullying project."