Long-awaited plans for a health centre ‘fit for the 21st century’ have been submitted to the council.

NHS East Lancashire has announced proposals to build a £3.1m facility in Great Harwood next to the existing site on Water Street.

It will be more than twice the size of the current building and include treatment rooms, speech and language therapy and podiatry facilities.

The project was shelved in 2010 after the NHS said it was no longer affordable.

But health bosses now say ‘good progress’ has been made on the project and the new centre will allow more services to be commissioned for people closer to home.

Jackie Hadwen, chief executive of East Lancashire Building Partnership, who has been leading the development, said: “We now believe we have a fantastic scheme that should serve the people of Great Harwood, and the surrounding area, well for many years to come.”

The 1,790sqm centre will also include The Royal Practice, the Great Harwood Medical Group and a branch of the Dr Valluri Practice.

Health centre campaigner and secretary of Great Harwood Community Action Group, Peter Holden, said it was ‘great news’ for the town.

He added: “It’s been a long time coming. As long as the thing is tasteful everybody should be welcoming it as it is much better than the empty piece of land we have at the moment.”

Great Harwood councillor Gareth Molineux said: “I hope that the project continues at the pace it is and that this time next year the health centre will be here.”

Arrangements for a number of public drop-in sessions, where people can view the plans, will be announced in the next few weeks.