PLANS have been unveiled to relocate over 100 drugs and disability workers from their base in the middle of Greenock.

Thirty six staff from the Community Learning Disabilities Team (CLDT) at the Cathcart Centre could be moved to Port Glasgow Health Centre by September.

And a further 67 staff who work in the drugs team at the centre could be moved permanently to Wellpark by November.

The proposals come ahead of the closure of the Cathcart Centre by 2021 as part of the new £21m Greenock Health Centre project.

Health chiefs say the early closure of the centre would ‘free up’ money to be spent on essential maintenance work in Inverclyde.

Speaking at a meeting of the Inverclyde Integration Joint Board, corporate director Louise Long said the proposal would also allow better integration of services.

She said: “We believe we can put staff from the drugs service up with the alcohol service so the addiction services would be sitting next to one another.

“It is also proposed to move the learning disabilities team.

“This would give the opportunity to shut the Cathcart Centre early and the savings could be used to invest in infrastructure.”

It is estimated that the cost of moving staff to Port Health Centre is £50,000, which would be covered by health savings from 2017/18 which are currently held aside in reserve.

The cost of making the Wellpark facility fit for purpose for the drugs team is estimated to stand at £115,000 and would be covered from an anticipated underspend in the addictions budget from 2017/18, together with the use of earmarked cash.

During the meeting Councillor Jim MacLeod asked where the CLDT would be accommodated within the Port Health Centre and was told they would be based in an old upstairs canteen.

Cllr MacLeod also enquired about future plans for the Cathcart Centre.

Ms Long replied: “The sooner we can release it then the board can decide what to do with that space.”