Plans for a £4.15m cancer care centre in north Norfolk to employ 33 people have taken a step forward.
Macmillan Cancer Support has been working with Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals (NNUH) NHS Foundation Trust to develop proposals for the centre, which will be on the site of Cromer Hospital and called the North Norfolk Macmillan Centre.
The plans, involving the refurbishment and extension of a disused ward, have been submitted to North Norfolk District Council, and if permission is granted, building work is expected to take around a year.
The proposed building will mean that space will be freed up in the main Cromer Hospital building to deliver an extra 600 surgical procedures in dermatology, urology, vascular surgery and pain management.
Gwyneth Tyler, Macmillan head of services for south and east England, said: "It is fantastic to see this crucial project, which will improve cancer care for so many people in North Norfolk, move another step forward with the submission of the planning application.
"If permission is granted, this centre will help to meet the growing need for people to get treatment and support closer to home.
"Of course, this type of project is only possible thanks to people's generosity. At Macmillan, we are entirely reliant on public donations and that support is what enables us to be there for people living with cancer and the people who support them."
The proposed centre will enable patients, many of whom currently travel to Norwich, to have their treatment and access support services closer to home.
MORE: Revealed: New £4m cancer centre to stop north Norfolk patients' agony of travelling for treatment when sickThe centre, on the site of the former Davison Unit, will include six chemotherapy treatment chairs which can treat up to 36 patients a day, three new clinic rooms and two new minor procedure rooms, creating an additional 10,000 outpatient appointments annually.
Mark Davies, NNUH chief executive, said: "We run one of the biggest cancer centres in the country and the expansion of Cromer Hospital is a key part of our plans to provide the best care for patients with cancer."
Cromer Hospital currently provides a range of acute out-patient services and has a minor injuries unit.
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