PLANS to attract more doctors to Blackburn by building a mini-village of houses by Queen's Park Hospital will go before a council planning committee this week.

The proposals would see 101 homes built on the hospital land to provide accommodation for junior doctors based at the hospital site.

Health bosses hope the mix of houses, flats and bedsits would attract more fledgeling doctors to train in the area, boost recruitment and help with staff retention.

A new £96million 'superhospital' is set to be completed on the Haslingden Road site in 2005. It will take on services provided by Blackburn Royal Infirmary and prevent many people having to travel out of Blackburn to use some services.

The new accommodation would be built towards the north of the hospital site, which used to house multi-storey stone wards before the new hospital was built, but has since been flattened.

The doctors would be able to access the site from Haslingden Road and through the northern part of the site. The plans include a barrier to prevent unauthorised access.

Pedestrians who usually walk through the site to get to and from the Queen's Park area and Haslingden Road will still be able to do so.

The council has received no objections to the plans and council officers have recommended the scheme's approval.