THE people of the Five Valleys will have a say on the future use of Standish Hospital as a public consultation period gets underway.

Everyone has until December 12 to say what they would like to happen to the historic hospital as it prepares to close in spring next year.

The consultation has been organised by the Standish Site Stakeholder Group, which is handling the transfer of the site.

District Cllr and group chairman Chas Fellows said the public would play an important role in whittling down the bids.

"This is an important consultation and we very much hope the public will express their views on the sort of services they would like to see on the site," he said.

"By December we hope to have had some information from members of the public. We can then begin to put forward additional criteria to test those bidders who are still in the frame."

The Action group Save Our Standish is among the parties which have submitted bids for the site, along with a number of private companies and individuals.

Options currently on the drawing board include a day nursery, care centre for the elderly and a hydrotherapy centre.

"I do not think any one individual service would be suitable on it's own," said Cllr Fellows. "I would like to see a range of facilities on site."

One of the options includes housing for key health workers but Cllr Fellows was keen to quosh any rumours that the site could fall into the hands of housing developers.

"Some of the earlier proposals suggested a housing use but that is not what we believe is right for the site and it is certainly not something that sits comfortably with our local plan.

"If there is any housing it will be for key workers on site."

Stroud MP David Drew, who is also vice-chairman of Save Our Standish, said: "We made it clear that if there wasn't a continuing NHS use we would hope to take the site on.

"We hope that the public can lend us their support and the stakeholders group will look favourably on what we are trying to do."

The Stakeholder Group includes representatives from Stroud District Council, Save Our Standish, Social Services and the NHS.

Views can be submitted in writing to Shirley Billson, Cotswold and Vale PCT, Cirencester Hospital, Tetbury Road, Cirencester, GL7 1UY or via the Stakeholder Group's website www.standishhospitalsite.org.uk. The Group would particularly like to know if the public agrees that the site should be retained for health related purposes and, if so, what they think about the current proposals.

Options for the future use of Standish Hospital:

-Care for older people

-Mental health care

-Care for people with learning disabilities

-A day nursery

-Assisted living accommodation

-Housing for key workers in essential public services

-Care for people with brain injuries

-Physiotherapy, occupational and hydrotherapy for physically disabled people

-Complementary health centre