The centre would be based at the town's hospital

If given the go-ahead by the Welsh assembly, the �7m scheme would group Tregaron's hospital, doctor's surgery and day centre all on the same site.

The scheme would also involve replacing the 15-bed Bryntirion care home with 15 sheltered flats and 15 "extra care" units for the elderly.

The latest census figures show nearly three in ten people in Tregaron are over 60 and Ceredigion has the highest life expectancy for men in Wales.

In a rural area like Ceredigion someone living in the wilds may have to be visited four times a day by at least one home care David Harries

According to David Harries, the council's assistant director of social services, the plan will provide a better service for the elderly in the town's population of around 1,000.

The complex would also house a 20 place day centre, community police office, pharmacy, and a base mental health staff.

"People want to stay in their own homes for as long as possible rather than move into a home," said Mr Harries.

Increasing pressure

"This scheme would allow people independence by providing them with their own living space including a kitchen rather than one room and shared eating facilities which they get at a home.

"It would mean that health care is available to people living on site."

The plan would also ease the "ever increasing" pressure on social services staff, Mr Harries said.

"In a rural area like Ceredigion someone living in the wilds may have to be visited four times a day by at least one home carer," he said.

One in three people living in Tregaron are aged more than 60

"This is unsustainable across the county so providing a tenancy for people on one site will utilise our resources better."

On Tuesday, Ceredigion Council's Cabinet backed an Outline Business Plan, the second of three stages needed before the scheme gets the go-ahead by the Welsh assembly.

This plan will now go before the assembly, which if its approved will allow a full business plan to be submitted to try to win funding for the scheme next year.

"The proposals represent a unique and challenging opportunity to fundamentally reshape the overall service for the area in line with the current national agenda," said Brian Thomas, Ceredigion and Mid Wales NHS Trust's business manager.

The plan's preferred option is to build on the site of the current hospital, retaining its 29 NHS beds.

At the moment the town's surgery, which has 3,350 patients on its register, is housed at a house in Tregaron's Chapel Street.