A HOSPICE is planning a £2.5m expansion to boost care for terminally ill people in rural north Durham.

Willowburn Hospice has been overshadowed by the threat of closure for more than five years.

The service is based in the former Maiden Law Hospital, near Lanchester. But the land is owned by the NHS, which has been looking to sell the 13-acre site and move the hospice to Shotley Bridge, near Consett.

Bosses at Willowburn revealed last Friday that it is to remain in Maiden Law and that the service will be expanded.

Linda Burt, the hospice's voluntary services co-ordinator, said: "The plan is very much in its infancy. But it will be the most significant development in our history."

In 1998, the old North Durham Health Care Trust revealed plans to move the hospice's district and Macmillan nurses and support staff out of the hospital grounds, in order to sell the land.

But the proposed move to Shotley Bridge Hospital fell through after the price of land at the new site soared to £500,000.

"The land value went up and we just couldn't afford it," said Mrs Burt. "Fortunately, the land at Maiden Law hadn't been sold and we can buy it."

Contracts for the sale of the Maiden Law site are due to be exchanged by the end of July.

Hospice chiefs will then apply for planning permission for either an extension on the existing premises, or demolition to pave the way for a purpose-built centre.

At present, Willowburn offers four beds and ten day care places, three days a week. It is hoped to extend this to six beds, to offer care for people suffering terminal illnesses other than cancer, such as lung diseases or Parkinson's Disease.

The hospice, which opened in 1980, is a registered charity and relies largely on donations and help from volunteers to carry out its work.

It will be embarking on a massive fundraising drive to bring in the cash needed for the development. Street collectors will be in Consett town centre on Saturday, June 26, and Consett Rotary Club will hold a concert in aid of the hospice at Consett's Empire Theatre, this Saturday, at 7.30pm.

Its biggest annual fundraiser, the summer fair, takes place at the hospice on Saturday, July 10, from 2pm until 4pm.

Anyone interested in making a donation should contact Mrs Burt on (01207) 528264.