Cambridgeshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) gave the go-ahead to a new polyclinic last week.

But St Neots town councillor Barry Chapman fears that the NHS has its eye on the recycling centre in Huntingdon Street – the preferred site for a cinema.

Cllr Chapman, who was project manager of the JPG before it folded this week, recently presented a 70-page document detailing JPG's advanced proposals for the leisure complex to Steve Ingram, head of planning at Huntingdonshire District Council.

Cllr Chapman said: "There will be no cinema for St Neots if the PCT build a clinic on the Huntingdon Street land."

Councillors in St Neots expressed their belief that a super-clinic would best serve the people by being sited outside the town centre.

However, the PCT says the majority of those consulted want a town centre location.

Cllr Chapman said: "If our polyclinic is built in our town centre then there is only one location which is large enough.

"There is also only one location in the town centre which can accommodate a cinema and theatre. That is the proposed Huntingdon Street site, which is owned by our district council."

The councillor said there were four opportunities on the table which could provide a six-screen, 800-seat cinema and theatre, with attending restaurants.

The interested parties are reported to be Reel Cinemas, which would build and operate a cinema, Hollywood Screen Entertainments, St Modwens and Cineworld.

St Neots Town Council leader Cllr Derek Giles said he would be writing personally to Cllr Chapman, inviting him to speak about the cinema proposals "as a member of the public" before the town council meeting begins on Wednesday, October 8.

Cllr Chapman urged anyone interested in hearing details of the cinema proposals to attend the town council meeting at 7pm.