DELAYS in building the proposed £10million health centre in Colne have been described as “unacceptable” by Pendle MP Gordon Prentice.

He delivered the message to NHS East Lancashire Trust bosses when he met them at their Regent Street offices in Nelson.

The meeting was with Steve Spoerry, NHS East Lancashire chief executive, and vice- chairman David Joyce.

They discussed the plans for the state-of-the-art facility on the site of the former Kwik Save super-market, in Craddock Road.

Later, Mr Prentice said: “I do not want to see the Colne Health Centre become a long-term aspiration. People want it now.

“Endless talking by Pendle Council and consultations about where the new health centre should be located clearly delayed things – so much so that other NHS building projects elsewhere in East Lancashire which were behind us in the queue have now overtaken us.

“I want a firm decision by the turn of the year to press ahead with the new health centre that Colne so badly needs.”