Sheenah McDermott says she is fed up with changes being forced on Caernarfon residents

Sheenah McDermott has already collected 1,000 names from people who want it to stay in the town centre.

Gwynedd local health board (LHB) favours one of two sites outside the town centre but have now agreed to consider a central site.

A decision on the new site is expected by the end of April.

Mrs McDermott said: "I feel so angry that they want to take something else out of the centre of Caernarfon.

"Ever since they split the town in half with the Caernarfon bypass they have taken things away without any thought of what local people want.

It's not rocket science to see that if less people come into the town centre... there will be less business Bob Anderson, shop keeper

"I've lived here all my life and raised my family here. I've never done anything like this petition before, but this time I thought it's not right that they carry on like this, and I decided I had to try and do something".

The new purpose-built centre willd house all the town's doctors - currently based at two town centre surgeries - and allow room for supplementary facilities such as blood testing.

The LHB has been looking at locations on the south side, at Eryri Hospital, and to the north at Victoria Dock.

Mrs McDermott said she would like to see the centre built on the old Tan y Bont site, now a temporary car park just off Castle Square.

In parallel to the petition from local people is a petition for businesses which has also been well supported.

Various sites

"It's not rocket science to see that if less people come into the town centre, less people walk past your shop and so there will be less business," said Bob Anderson a town councillor who also owns a shop.

"We feel the Tan y Bont site would be ideal, it is big enough for the centre and associated parking spaces," Mr Anderson added.

A LHB spokesman said "various" sites were being reviewed using a set of "criteria" to assess suitability, with a decision expected before the end of April.

Once a site is chosen a planning application will be submitted to Gwynedd council and a bid for funding will go to the assembly government.