PLANS for a new health centre in Stacksteads have been deferred after concerns were raised over access to the proposed site.

Councillors have put off making a decision about the plan because of access problems.

They also want further information about the proposed development before making a decision.

That means GPs based at the Stacksteads surgery may have to uproot and move to another planned health centre in Bacup.

Developers Brian Boys, of Rossendale, want to build a new health centre on land behind the Rose 'n' Bowl in Newchurch Road, Stacksteads, as a replacement for the nearby Farholme Lane practice.

But some residents have voiced concern over the potential site for the new health centre. People living in the area fear their streets could be turned into a "rat run". They have also claimed that the car park which would be attached to the centre would be a "mecca for boy racers".

Council planning officer Janet Roussley asked councillors to put their decision on hold. She said the development would compromise road safety and go against the local plan.

With the plans for the new Stacksteads surgery on hold it now looks likely that the GPs based at the Stacksteads building will move to a new health centre which will open at Irwell Mill in Bacup in 2005.

Rossendale Council is supporting plans for the multi-million-pound, state-of-the-art health centre.

That centre will house three doctors' practices, a dental suite, a pharmacy and other health services.

The plan is to build a five-floor building on the site of the partly demolished Irwell Mill. The surviving sections of the mill are to be restored and connected to the new structure by a glazed link.

If the plans are given the go-ahead work could start next month and the centre could be open to patients by Easter 2005.

It could be the first centre in the country to be built as part of the LIFT project - a private and public sector link-up between developers and health trusts to provide new, modern health facilities that bring services up to the standards required by the NHS.