FIVE bids have come in to develop the Old Manor Hospital site in Salisbury.

The six-acre site in Wilton Road was put on the open market in December after Wiltshire Council and Wiltshire PCT failed to reach an agreement on its transfer.

There were fears that any opportunity for care homes for the elderly to be built there would be lost and it would instead be used for housing. But at a Salisbury Area Board meeting on Thursday, Wiltshire PCT chairman Tony Barron said the situation looked “positive” for the provision of an elderly care facility and the development of the listed building on the site.

He said: “All of the bids are showing positive messages regarding the aspirations of the council and the NHS, they are all looking at providing some facilities for the elderly – what that will be or where on the site it will end up is still subject to negotiations. In due course plans for the site will be publicly announced.”

It is understood that one of the bids involves the supermarket, Morrisons, although the company would not confirm it. The development will be next to the new primary care centre currently being built – it includes two GP surgeries, a pharmacy and a walk-in centre.

* The PCT is being replaced by a county Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). Wiltshire CCG will formally take responsibility for commissioning services from April 2, overseeing a budget of around £519million. It has been operating in shadow form since July 2011. Dr Steve Rowlands, chairman of Wiltshire CCG, said: “Our member practices and staff have worked hard since July 2011 to be ready to take on our full responsibility for planning and securing health services for local people. We look forward to demonstrating that we can be a highly effective organisation in serving the people of Wiltshire from April 2013.”