A battle to get Bicester its promised 30-bed hospital is gathering pace.

On Monday, district and town councillor Les Sibley plans to lobby Cherwell District Council to get backing for his fight.

He will also launch a petition in the next few weeks and is planning a public meeting in March as part of his Best for Bicester campaign.

The move comes after Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust announced it had placed an advert seeking “expressions of interest” to build a primary care centre — a hospital without beds — in the town, effectively shutting the community hospital in Kings End.

A decade ago the Government promised Bicester a 30-bed hospital, but in 2005 the PCT decided the town would instead get a care centre with beds bought elsewhere in the town, in line with new policy.

Mr Sibley criticised the move claiming Bicester’s services would be downgraded and described the PCT’s proposals as out of date.

He added: “We need to make sure the people of Bicester get behind efforts to deliver a new community hospital.”

Mr Sibley said that at Monday’s Cherwell executive meeting, he would outline reasons for Bicester to have a hospital, such as the need for dementia and respite care facilities which he said the town “sadly lacked”.

He added: “The primary care centre on its own is not a replacement for the promised 30-bed hospital. It is no comparison to a fully equipped hospital with beds.”

Mr Sibley plans to set up a stall in Sheep Street in the next few weeks to launch his petition.

The PCT was unavailable for comment.