COUNTY Hall could move to the former Camp Hill prison site.& ;lt;/p>

Plans to relocate the Isle of Wight Council headquarters were revealed in Cllr Chris Whitehouse's ward newsletter.

Furthermore, he said all the Island's public services could be based at the old prison, including the police and fire services, health and social services, a post office and a job centre.

"There'll be in-depth consultation before any final decisions are taken, but watch this space because we're already in talks with government ministers to make it happen. You read it here first!" he said.

The council has already announced plans to integrate services under the 'one public service' programme,' which council leader Cllr Dave Stewart said he hoped to achieve in five years.

He said the Camp Hill site would be ideal, because £9.5 million had already been secured to improve the surrounding road network and it was large enough to accommodate housing and independent living facilities for elderly people once it had been sold by the MOJ to the Homes and Communities Agency.

Cllr Whitehouse said he had made the suggestion at a briefing given to Newport ward councillors.

"County Hall is one of the ugliest buildings on the Island and it's under used. I don't want to put words in people's mouths, but the general consensus was that it's a good idea," he said.

A council spokesman said Camp Hill was still owned by the MOJ and no decision had yet been made.

Cllr Stewart said it was large enough to accommodate housing and independent living facilities for elderly people once it had been sold by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) to the Homes and Communities Agency.