THE future of Trowbridge’s campus is in limbo, according to the town's councillors, who feel that if Wiltshire Council does not progress with plans, the town will never get the health and leisure facilities it deserves.

The topic was hotly discussed at last week’s area board meeting after councillors received notification that Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group was exploring other sites – including part of the cricket ground – for a primary care centre, rather than including it in the campus.

However, cabinet member for campuses Cllr John Thomson pledged this week that Wiltshire Council will deliver a campus for Trowbridge and he still hopes the CCG will get on board.

The CCG’s announcement came as a shock to councillors as many did not know about the change of heart until the meeting.

Cllr Graham Payne said: “The people of Trowbridge are being made to wait. Historically, the CCG or health input was hard to get on board and it did take a while to show them that what they would bring to the campus would go a tremendous way to making the whole project viable. But surely you have to ask if they pull out, then does it make the whole project unviable?”

Plans were put in motion for the campus in 2012 when a Community Operations Board (COB) was set up. It was forecast that the overall cost for a campus at East Wing would be around £30m based on initial feedback from residents about what they would like to see, including a swimming pool and fitness suite. Cllr Thomson has said this is £15m over budget.

He added: “The CCG has never spoken to me and I am looking at various options but one of the problems is that the package the COB put together is financially more than the value of the site we could build it on.

“I feel that the elected members should be involved in the progress which is why it is for the area board to look at what the community really needs but also what is sustainable. It needs to be run without a massive deficit.

“We are talking with health but we don’t seem to be getting the communication just right for the Trowbridge plans yet.

“We definitely want to do the campus for Trowbridge because it is the county town. I wouldn’t be investing into development sites unless I wanted to take the project forward.”

The CCG said it is currently undertaking “an options appraisal” for the site of the primary care centre 'with a view to providing a new health facility for the people of Trowbridge in 2018/19.'

A spokesman added: “We hope to complete our options appraisal and subsequent business case by May. We are not yet at a stage where specific facilities have been identified or costs developed.”

Colin Kay chairman of the COB, added that the public have been left in the dark, saying: “We are extremely frustrated and we were told by people at the start that this wouldn’t ever happen but we put our reputations on the line by saying it will.

“I think if Wiltshire Council don’t go for it and create a health and leisure centre together then in the long term it will cost more, so I think it is vitally important for the campus because it will improve the life chances of the community of Trowbridge.”

Cllr Thomson is due to meet the CCG this spring.