Plans to transform the old Ashford Hospital site into a state-of-the-art health centre are going on show.

Health bosses are putting proposals for the £13m redevelopment of the site in King's Avenue on view to the public.

An exhibition at St Mary’s Church of England Primary School, Western Avenue, Ashford is being held on Friday May 15 between 2.30pm and 8pm and Saturday May 16 between 10am and 2pm.

NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent aims to develop the site with a new health centre which will bring services closer to local people’s homes. It is intended that part of the site will be sold to help fund the health centre and this will be developed for housing.

On view at the event will be the design proposals for the health centre and outline plans for the residential area.

Costain has been appointed as the development partner to design and manage the construction of the new health centre which is planned to be completed by 2012.

Approval was given in June 2008 from the Department of Health for the new healthcare development and work is expected to start in late 2010.

Amanda Harrison, director of assurance and strategic development at the PCT said: "I am delighted that we have taken these important next steps towards developing the new King’s Avenue health centre. "The development offers a great opportunity to provide more healthcare in community settings, so that people won’t have to travel to an acute hospital site as they often need to now.

"We are working in partnership with the local GPs to agree the full range of services that will be delivered from the new building and we will continue to involve local people and other partners as the plans are finalised over the coming months."

The exhibition will be staffed by members of the project team working on the development, who will be able to answer questions and discuss any issues. Feedback forms will be available so the public can pass on views on the proposals.

For people unable to attend, details of the proposals and an opportunity to give feedback will also be available online at www.easternandcoastalkent.nhs.uk from May 15. Deadline for feedback is 5pm on June 15.

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