A TOWN centre medical practice with 18,000 patients could be forced to close.

Now doctors at Minden Medical Centre are calling for the support of its patients to protest at plans to bulldoze the building as part of the Rock Triangle development.

Centre managers say they had been aware that Bury Council and developers Thornfield Properties were pursuing a Compulsory Purchase Order in respect of its patient car park.

But it now appears this would be extended to include the whole of the centre, situated off The Rock, and built just ten years ago.

However, developers said late on Thursday that they were prepared to replace it with a bigger and better centre.

A letter sent to the Bury Times by Minden management said: "If the order is granted in total, the medical centre would be required to relocate at a site unknown.

"We were aware of the order affecting our patient car park, and we have been resisting this as disabled or infirm patients would not have easy access."

A public inquiry is planned for November 2 to 4, giving the medical centre staff the chance to oppose the CPO.

Mill Gate owners Westfield have joined forces with Thornfield to plough money into major improvements on The Rock as part of a £150 million investment for the town centre.

Among proposals for the area around the medical centre are retail, food and drink, and leisure outlets, as well as residential properties.

The proposed development includes a new road that passes within ten to 20 feet of the rear of the centre. Patients would need to cross this to get to the surgery which, staff claim, could be difficult for the elderly and families with young children in prams.

In a statement released to the Bury Times on Thursday afternoon, Peter Warden, senior development director at Thornfield Developments, said the future of Minden Medical Centre was assured and there seemed to be some misunderstanding.

He said: "Because the medical centre did not like the idea of patients having to cross what amounts to an internal car park lane -- not a public road -- we came up with another solution.

"At a meeting with the medical centre on Wednesday, we offered to build them a brand new facility, some 50 per cent larger than their existing premises, complete with its own 60 dedicated patient and doctor car parking spaces.

"We agreed that we would pay the doctors some 35 per cent over the asking price for their property plus an additional £100,000 to cover relocation expenses. We offered them a choice of two specific sites within the new development.

"We further undertook to build the brand new enhanced facility completely so that they could move straight in without any inconvenience to patients.

"We are happy to bend over backwards to ensure that patients will not be inconvenienced in any way whatsoever."