A new superclinic will be delayed by as long as, nine months - because officials have changed their minds about where it should be built.

South East Essex Primary Care Trust originally planned a pair of clinics on sites in Ness Road in Campfield Road.

Now legal issues over leases have forced a chance of heart.

As a result, the trust now plans a single superclinic - offering GP practices, blood clinics and physiotherapy and other services - on a site within the Garrison development.

This will allow the trust significantly more parking space than would have been possible at the other sites.

Julie Garbutt, trust chief executive, said: "Although there has been an unavoidable delay in the development of new health facilities for the Shoebury population, this has given the trust the chance to find a site large enough to build an integrated centre of which both patients and staff can be proud."

Public consultations over the original plans showed many patients were concerned about parking.

Jane O'Connell from the trust, said: "The new centre on the Garrison will be so much better than the first option, because it's all on one site.

"Had that option been around when we first went to consultation, we would have gone for it.

"People were worried about parking. If you go to a primary care centre, you want to know you can park with reasonable ease. "

The trust aims to submit a planning application this spring. If approved, work could start at the start of next year, with the clinic open by summer 2009.

A public meeting on the plans is being staged on January 17 at Shoebury High School, in Caulfield Road, from 8pm.