A £10million healthcare centre is set to be built in Thornbury.

St Mary’s, Streamside and Dr Foubister’s surgeries would all be combined into the new building, which would also house a mental health centre, outpatient department and community outreach centre.

It will be called the Primary and Community Care Hub.

A paper entitled Outline Business Case for a Sustainable Primary Healthcare Service in Thornbury was presented at a meeting of the Primary Care Commissioning Committee on Tuesday, September 25.

The document was written by out-sourcing company Capita for Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group, and a full business case will now be produced after plans were given the go-ahead.

A number of details are yet to be worked out.

The cost of the project does not include the land purchase price, and a preferred site for the new centre has yet to be found.

Four potential sites are currently under consideration. It is hoped the new centre will be able to meet the demands caused by population growth.

The business case says the current facilities will not be able to cope with more people. They lack space and are not suitable for modern health care.

Within 10 years Streamside Surgery and Dr Foubister and Partners would need to increase their space by a third, and St Mary’s Surgery by two thirds in order to meet the projected population growth.

David Jarrett, South Gloucestershire area director for Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “The decision to move forward to full business case is an important step forward to deliver sustainable primary and community care for local people and meet future health needs though the development of an enhanced primary and community care hub.

“The approved preferred option is to develop a new health centre which will bring together the three local Thornbury GP practices, a pharmacy, an outpatient department and mental health and community services in one new development.”

Councillor Marian Gilpin, chair of South Gloucestershire Council’s health scrutiny committee, said: “I am delighted to see that progress is at last being made on the project, which is now entering the next phase of work.

“The council’s administration has made unprecedented ground on this issue, which has long affected the people of Thornbury, and through campaigning for funding from NHS England for this business case, we are taking the next step forward.”

Construction of the new building would begin in June 2020.