Work on a health centre for Wantage and Grove is due to start once public transport arrangements to the site have been ironed out.

Stephen Minion, chief executive of Ashley House, the developer chosen to build the centre, revealed that building work is scheduled to start in February.

Mr Minion, who declined to pinpoint a specific start date, said the planning process had been complicated because "there were a lot of interested parties".

Oxfordshire County Council now has to reach an agreement with Ashley House about public transport arrangements to the greenfield site, off Mably Way, in Grove, before work can begin.

Howard Cox, principal planning officer at Oxfordshire County Council, said the Vale of White Horse District Council wanted improvements to public transport to be finalised before granting planning permission.

Mr Cox said: "We would want to improve bus links to the site and also provide bus stops and safe crossing facilities. There are other developments in the area, which we hope will also be able to chip into the package. Obviously we are hopeful things can be sorted out quickly and we can move on from there."

Members of the Wantage, Grove and District Area Forum have called for a public meeting to discuss issues surrounding the health centre move.

Grove county and district councillor Zoe Patrick said: "We are hoping a GP, a representative from the South West Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust and district council planning officers will attend."

The Newbury Street and Church Street practices, based at the Wantage Health Centre in Garston Lane, will lease the health centre building from Ashley House, a private limited company.