HEALTH bosses are being urged to reconsider the decision to move Hambleton and Richmondshire Primary Health Care Trust to Thirsk.

The trust is to move its headquarters from a temporary site at Catterick Garrison to purpose-built offices in the market town.

But Tony Pelton, who represents Catterick on Richmondshire District Council, has objected to the move saying it will lead to a "fragmentation" of the health service in the area.

The trust, which took over the role of the primary care group in April, wanted to move to Richmondshire but officials said there was no suitable site capable of accommodating it in the short time available.

The trust is now proposing to locate its headquarters in an existing office complex in Station Road, Thirsk, near to the Tesco store.

But Coun Pelton wants Richmondshire District Council to persuade the trust to consider moving to Aske Hall, near Richmond, or to Colburn Business Park.

He said that both sites were among those considered by the trust when it first carried out its audit of possible sites.

He said: "The remit that was given to the trust from the old Primary Care Group stated that the office complex should be at the centre of the largest population it intended to serve. I think that is both fair and sensible.

"There is already too much fragmentation in the health service and if the PCT disappears into a corner of the county then they are just adding to it.

"Thirsk is just about falling off the map and they are planning to locate into an old building which is bound to be more expensive in the long term.

"I think that the ideal location would be the Colburn Business Park and developers there have already ensured they could provide the floor space to work in within eight weeks."

The issue will be considered at the council's resources committee meeting next week.