PORLOCK GP Ian Kelham is counting the days until his brand new £450,000 surgery is built in the village - more than quadrupling the size of the existing practice.

A string of hold-ups has delayed his plans for more than two years, along with eight affordable Magna West Somerset homes which will be built on the former SWEB electricity generating sub-station in High Bank.

Magna bought the land from the electricity company and has sold off a share of the site to Dr Kelham.

The surgery is likely to be complete in September and will provide a far wider range of services for patients.

Western Power, formerly SWEB, has been clearing the land and recently laying high voltage cables underground before Magna moves in and destroys the old generator.

Meanwhile Magna is about to start work on eight new homes on the site, each with its own garden and legal tie that it can only occupied by a "local" person.

Dr Kelham secured planning permission for the surgery in 1999 but the scheme had to wait for Magna to receive the green light from planners.

And he first contacted Western Power almost six years ago to enquire about building a new surgery on the site.

Dr Kelham said: "This is great news. The electricity company are laying the cables so it should not be long before the work starts.

"It will be a much larger surgery and provide many more services so I hope it be up and running in the autumn time, around September."

Dr Kelham took control of the current single-GP surgery at Pollards Court in 1996 and has been constantly looking at ways to develop more modern facilities for his patients.

Negotiations regarding specific requirements have also been on-going between Western Power and Exmoor National Park Authority.

Magna is currently undertaking a districtwide initiative to build two and three-bedroom houses for rent, and spokesman Julie Hill said the £500,000 homes should be complete by the summer.

"Magna West Somerset are very pleased to see this scheme finally getting underway, " she said.

Photos: Steve Guscott.