There is new hope for a community hospital in Bicester after campaigners pressed health officials to look into offers to build it.

Although it is uncertain whether Bicester will get the 30-bed community hospital promised more than a decade ago, Oxfordshire PCT is considering Cherwell District Council's plan to build a hospital and then lease it back to the trust.

Last week MP Tony Baldry, Save Our Community Hospital campaign leader councillor Les Sibley, Bicester mayor John Cozens and councillor Rose Stratford met health minister Ivan Lewis to discuss the project.

The trust is looking at replacing the town's ageing 12-bed Cottage Hospital with a high-tech primary care centre, where beds would be rented from local care homes.

But residents and campaigners say the town should get the community hospital it was promised and have asked the PCT to look at the model of the Wychavon 26-bed community hospital in Pershore, Worcestershire.

In 2002, planning permission was granted to build the new hospital on land donated free by developers South West Bicester. But the PCT rejected the offer and the district council's proposal.

Mr Baldry said: "Bicester has been promised a new community hospital for 10 years. Our last meeting with the Health Minister offered some hope.

"He agreed that Bicester needs beds. The question is how many beds and where those beds will be located.

"The offer by the district council to help meet capital costs is an excellent one. I now actually see some light at the end of the tunnel given this has been a 10-year saga."

Mr Sibley said: "I visited Wychavon District Council two years ago to see first-hand how the council used funds gained from the sale of their old housing stock to build a new community hospital with the council leasing it back to their local PCT.

"I think it will work in Bicester."

If the land offer was taken up the existing hospital site could be sold for housing.

Ruth Atkins, communications manager for the PCT, said the trust was looking at the Pershore Community Hospital model.

She said: "People initially involved with that work tell us that it is an entirely different model than what we have in Bicester in that it was built around relocating GP practices. It also appears to have more beds than are needed for that population."

A public drop-in event is being held on Tuesday, from 10.30am to 8pm at the Littlebury Hotel in Bicester.