Local people will soon be able to have their say on a draft design brief that will help shape the future redevelopment opportunities on the former health authority office site to the south of Primrose Lane, Huntingdon.

The site has been recently vacated by the local Primary Care Trust after having been used as an isolation hospital, and for other medical uses since the late 19 century. The current owners, the NHS, are in the process of marketing the site for residential development.

Huntingdonshire District Council will be seeking views from the public on the draft design brief during a public consultation, which is planned to run until 6 May 2008.

The document is available to view on the planning pages of the website and a public exhibition is to be held at All Saints Church, in the centre of Huntingdon, on Thursday 10 April, between 2 and 4.30pm.

After the consultation, all of the views will be assessed and the design brief will be revised to take people's comments into account. 

The site is now within the Huntingdon conservation area, enlarged late last year, and a tree preservation order was also granted protecting all the trees within the site.

The purpose of the design brief is to ensure that a well planned and appropriate development can take place on the site, which contributes to improving the built environment of the town. It sets design parameters ensuring that future proposals achieve imaginative and distinctive solutions.