BLUEPRINTS for a £250,000 extension to a popular health centre in Burnley have been unveiled by East Lancashire NHS chiefs.

Under the proposals by NHS East Lancashire, for the Chai Healthy Living Centre, in Hurtley Street, the gym will be extended to cope with increasing demand in Daneshouse and Stoneyholme.

The investment has been given the green light by the former Primary Care Trust and is now awaiting a review by Burnley’s development control committee.

Wendy Hitchon, the centre’s administration manager, said the expansion of facilities was needed to accommodate the increased number of people who wanted to get involved in the exercise classes and activities put on for local people.

She added: “Our activities have grown considerably since we opened.

“At the moment, we are having to use the nearby Ghausia Centre for exercise classes and activities However, the people then attending cannot have showers, or proper changing facilities, which are on offer at the Chai Centre.

“We initially used the café area for dance activity, but this proved difficult, moving furniture and tables. It was also not a very private area either.”

The plans will take in land already owned by the organisation, within the centre’s grounds.

It is hoped that the gym area can be expanded into the back garden area and a new room built on part of the allotment garden area to offer better facilities for exercise classes and an indoor children’s play area.

Janet Davies, head of the trust’s children centres, added: “Our plans are all about promoting physical activity in the community setting.

“We want to offer more facilities for people to improve their lifestyle and their health. It’s all part of the bigger picture plan to help people to help themselves “If we want to encourage people to prevent illness and give themselves a sense of well-being, we need the facilities and this will help us considerably.”

NHS chiefs are running a campaign to help save a million years of life across five East Lancashire boroughs.