A SURGERY at the heart of the town centre is an ‘exciting’ idea, health bosses and councillors have said.

Refreshed plans to build a surgery and pharmacy in Braintree will be unveiled on June 15.

Mount Chambers, which has 13,900 patients, has been campaigning for new facilities as it has outgrown its current building behind Coggeshall Road.

Peter Hadfield, practice manager, said it was an exciting time.

He said: “It’s all very positive, I don’t think the plans will be very detailed but they will be in principle,.

“As long as the surgery is at the heart of the development we will be very pleased.

“I think having a surgery there will benefit the town because of the amount of patients we see, it’s much better that we are in the town centre.

“It’s a very exciting time and we are due to meet with the council about the surgery this week.”

Braintree Council will showcase its plans for Manor Street behind the Town Hall during a public exhibition.

At the event the council will unveil its latest thinking and concept proposals, which include a surgery to replace the existing Mount Chambers, a pharmacy, a new bus interchange and ‘public realm’.

The council is pouring £11.5million into the former bus park after developer Henry Boot failed to agree terms.

Stuart Buckley, who manages the Boars Head pub on the High Street, said investment should be made throughout the whole town.

He said: “There’s nothing wrong with that end of the town, it’s had development.

“Our High Street is a disgrace for such an affluent town, we should be ashamed of the way we’re allowing it to get.

“We have many historic buildings in this town, and we are either letting these buildings rot, or just be turned in to flats.

“I’m really starting to wonder whether I’m the only one who can see this.

“If you want to expand the town again, at least have need for the buildings you put up- we never seem to learn.”

The public exhibition, to be held from 3pm until 7pm at the Town Hall, will be the first chance for residents to see the latest designs from architects AHR.

Following the exhibition, a paper will go to a meeting of the council’s Cabinet in the Autumn, to agree investment in the project.

From there it is expected that a planning application will be submitted by the end of the year.