A FORMER job centre and an old bingo hall are both being touted as possible locations for a new health centre in Port Glasgow.

Town councillor Jim MacLeod of the SNP says his party has earmarked the sites as suitable, as a push continues for a new facility to be built to replace the ageing Bay Street building.

He says that a move away from there would also open up the current site to be used for a new development.

Mr MacLeod said: "My council colleague Chris Curley and I had meetings with the health and social care partnership and proposed the former job centre on Shore Street and the former Plaza bingo hall and dental practice site.

“Port Glasgow requires a new health centre.

"The older part of the building was constructed about the same time as the former Greenock Health Centre.

"Greenock now has an excellent new health facility and we are looking for the same for Port Glasgow town centre."

Mr MacLeod said that clearing the current heath centre could spark a town centre regeneration.

He told the Tele: "Moving the health centre to a new site and also removing the car park would allow this area to be restored.

"In our election manifesto we have suggested the creation of a new, larger gym at the adjacent Port Glasgow Baths.

"We think there is a great opportunity to combine a new gym with the wider regeneration of the Port.

"The present health centre is built over what was the oldest dry dock in Scotland.

"If we exposed the top of the dock we could create a heritage park and centre which would combine with a development at the swimming baths.

"This would also provide a link between John Wood Street and Coronation Park and the recently installed shipbuilders statue."

The bid for a new health centre in the town took a step forward back in February, when the Tele reported how it had cleared a key hurdle.

NHS officials confirmed it was to be included as one of three proposals being put forward for the next round of national primary care funding bids.

A report 10 years ago highlighted the sorry state of all three health centres locally.

The Port Glasgow building was deemed not satisfactory, along with both the former Greenock Health Centre in Duncan Street and the Gourock Health Centre.

Greenock now has a new £20 million building which opened last year on the site of the former Wellington Academy school.