CONTROVERSIAL and ambitious plans for the £20million Phase Five development at Burnley General Hospital will be be discussed at a meeting on Wednesday.

More than 170 new beds in five separate wards will be created for dermatology and stroke patients.

New outpatient accommodation will also be as part of the Phase Five scheme.

Facilities for Ear Nose and Throat, audiology and dermatology patients and a new renal dialysis unit are also included.

Proposals also include a new main entrance, landscaping and more car parking space.

The trust has also offered to pay £23,000 to Burnley Council to develop residents-only parking schemes.

Phase Five will be paid for under the Private Finance Initiative, which has been criticised by unions and Burnley MP Peter Pike.

The effect of using public-private partnerships to build hospitals is falling bed numbers and service cuts, a report suggested last week.

The scheme is one of the first major initiatives under the newly-merged East Lancashire Hospitals Trust, previously Burnley NHS Trust and Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust. The new organisation, responsible for Burnley General Hospital, Pendle Community Hospital, Queen's Park Hospital and Rossendale Hospital as well as Blackburn Royal Infirmary, employs around 6,500 people and has an annual budget of £210 million.