RESIDENTS have taken a fresh look at plans for a new doctors' surgery in Winchester city centre.

St Clements Surgery in Tanner Street is set to be rebuilt and relocated as part of the £150m Silver Hill development, before the old site is bulldozed.

More than 30 residents viewed the proposal at an exhibition in Winchester Guildhall.

Many were happy with the new look building, earmarked for Upper Brook Street, and said it was desperately needed.

Philip Conway, who also uses the surgery said: “I have been a patient for 37 years, I would like to see the new surgery built it has been promised to the doctors, the current building is so inadequate and I think they have been brave to hold on so long until the building has been built, it must be done it is desperately needed.”

One resident who asked not to be named but who has been a patient at the surgery since 1971, said, “It is about time they did it, it is desperately needed. I hope the new building will speed up the process of being seen by doctors.”

Another resident, who again did not want to be named said: “It will be very nice when it is finished but I think it will be a long time until that happens. Winchester has a terminal delay of getting anything done and planning takes ages.”

It comes after The Winchester Deserves Better campaign against Silver Hill is backing a petition by patient Gill Davies, urging the council to separate the surgery from the Silver Hill project.

They say the surgery's 17,000 patients are being put at risk by tying the plans to the larger revamp of flats and shops.

The petition of 422 signatures, previously reported by the Chronicle, was presented to Winchester City Council in November.

Civic chiefs are set to respond at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

It comes after council leader Cllr Stephen Godfrey accused campaigners of "winding up the public" with fears that the existing surgery may close before its replacement is ready.

Cllr Godfrey pledged at November's full council that the surgery would be complete by August 2017.