THE preferred site for the new health centre in the Berkeley Vale has been revealed.

Gloucestershire NHS is in negotiations to secure land on the Littlecombe development, in Dursley, for a new health and social care campus, which will replace Berkeley Hospital.

Following concerns that the project would fall through, due to the length of time it was taking to choose a site for the centre, health chiefs said this week they hoped to put in a planning application for the building next month.

However some local leaders are questioning the choice of site.

County councillor for Cam and Dursley, Dennis Andrewartha, said the Littlecombe site would be an "appalling" choice if no public transport was supplied.

"The hospital will be totally unsustainable without a proper public transport system," said Cllr Andrewartha.

"The PCT will be failing in their duty if they do not provide adequate transport. How will people in Berkeley get there, how will people in Coaley get there? The list is endless."

David Drew, MP for the Stroud constituency, who asked the minister of state for health services Mike O’Brien about the health centre site in parliament last week, said he also had some reservations about the choice.

"At last they've made their minds up but I am still grappling with what the criteria is that they are using," he said.

"I still have two issues, firstly I want to make sure this is the best site and we are not just taking the first site that happens to be available.

"I would also like to see the existing site used for care provision. I think we need to think carefully how that site is used and would like to see some thought."

An NHS Gloucestershire spokesman said they were currently considering transport along with other developments on the site and would be "working closely with the local council and transport providers".

The campus will provide 20 beds in individual rooms for medical care and rehabilitation, an extended range of outpatient clinics and community therapies plus a minor injuries services and a range of diagnostic services including X-ray.

Chief executive of NHS Gloucestershire, Jan Stubbings, said: "This is an exciting project which aims to provide integrated care and treatment in the best possible environment for the patient and in the right way to meet their individual needs. The project will deliver modern health and social care services for local people."

The site has been chosen with help from local GPs and patient and community representatives. The facility is set to open in 2012.