PLANS to turn a Grade II listed building in Nelson into a £6.3million state-of-the-art health centre will be officially launched today.

Health officials from Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Primary Care Trust and their project partners will attend a special ceremony at the old Yarnspinners Wharf Warehouse, which lies next to Morrison's supermarket, off Scotland Road.

Later they will be able to view drawings of the proposed conversion and will also be able to take a "virtual tour" of the building at Pendle Heritage Centre, in Barrowford.

The Yarnspinners Health Centre should be open for health-care business by the spring of 2005 and will serve the growing needs of more than 30,000 people in the town.

The converted Grade ll listed building, which stands on the banks of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal, and was an important part of the town's industrial and commercial heritage, will then provide permanent and modern home for seven GP surgeries, dental practices and other medical services, including podiatry, speech and language therapy and a pharmacy, all under one roof.

David Peat, chief executive of Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale PCT, said: "It will be virtually a one-stop shop for the health needs of Nelson folk, as far as primary provision of services is concerned.

"We and our partners want to offer the people of Nelson a modern community care service and facilities suitable for the 21st century. The fact that we are able to do so in a way that celebrates Nelson's great industrial past, by putting new life into such an important heritage building, makes it all the more exciting and worth while."

Mr Peat added: "We are grateful for the support of our partners in this important project and look forward to working closely with them towards improving the health of our local community."

The planning of the project has taken several years and is the result of partnership working between the PCT, Pendle Council, Pendle Partnerships and the occupiers and users of the new building.

The Partnerships has pledged nearly £750,000 to the project, designed to enhance healthcare provision for all.