The sale of land at a former army barracks in Derry for a new 'health hub' has prompted some concern about the scale of "ambition" for the 11-acre site on the banks of the Foyle.
Work on the £70 million 'health hub' could begin next year after the sale of land at the former military site Fort George was confirmed on Wednesday
The news has been welcomed but some MLAs have expressed "reservations" about the wider development of the former army barracks.
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The sale was described as "very welcome progress" by Sinn Fein 's Padraig Delargy but the news has been greeted with a mixed reaction from other parties in Derry.
SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan suggested the plans for Fort George lack ambition, while the DUP 's Gary Middleton said "further developments" are required.
The site itself was under military control from the 1970s until 2001 when it was handed over for civilian use.
It was taken over by Stormont authorities in 2004 but the 11-acre site on the west bank of the Foyle has, with the exception of an office block that opened in 2014, remained free of major development.
Plans for a 'health hub' at Fort George date back to 2018, when the Department and the Trust first reached an agreement.
The idea behind the 'hub' will be to shift services away from hospital settings to community care, with GPs and health staff from a range of different disciplines to be brought together at the same location.
A spokesperson for the Department said: "The facility will provide accommodation for multi-disciplinary working and will include the capacity for a broader range of diagnostic, treatment and care services to be delivered in a community setting."
The Western Trust has now assumed ownership of 1.7 acres at Fort George to develop the hub.
Responding to news of the sale, Sinn Fein MLA Padraig Delargey said: "This follows the decision of then Sinn Féin Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey to allow the Western Health and Social Care Trust to purchase the land it requires at Fort George.
“Significantly, the department also confirmed that the Trust will now proceed to develop a business case for the project with procurement of the overall scheme expected to proceed in 2024/25."
Mr Delargey added: “That is very welcome progress on what will be a major investment not only in the economy and regeneration of this city but in the healthcare of the people who live here.”
The SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan, however, said: "In terms of the health model this project is welcome and it would be foolish not to see the merit in a new health hub, particularly in the current climate, however Fort George is perhaps not the most suitable location. My reservations around these proposals are on record and it is concerning that there has been no exploration of alternative use of the site."
He added: "I would've liked to have seen more ambitious plans for this strategically important development site which would be better utilised for something that adds real value economically to the city and beyond. Sadly, this falls short of earlier proposals and could be seen as a reduction in terms of ambition."
The DUP's Gary Middleton, meanwhile, said: "Whilst I welcome the progress made in terms of the disposal of land, this represents only 1.7 acres of the total 11-acre Fort George site.
"The development of the Health and Care Centre is anticipated to create 250 new permanent jobs as well as centralising approximately 450 posts in the modern state of the art facility. That is positive and welcome news."
He continued: "We now need to see further progress on the rest of this strategic regeneration site. Fort George is in a prime location and the offering in the site should also reflect on the needs of the city and the need for economic growth."
The Foyle MLA added: "I will be engaging with the Department for Communities further over the coming weeks to push for further developments."
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