A full business case for the £35 million development has been approved by the Scottish Government which means building work will begin in January 2017 and the majority of the new facilities are expected to be operational by autumn 2018.

Final building works, roads and car parking are expected to be completed by autumn 2019.

The new Care Village is a joint venture by Stirling Council, NHS Forth Valley and the Scottish Ambulance Service and is being developed through hub East Central Scotland.

The plans will see the creation of a new Care Hub for older people who require additional short-term care, an assessment or rehabilitation following an illness, an operation or an acute hospital admission. Services will be delivered in a modern, purpose-built facility with more than 100 short-stay care beds.

A new Primary and Urgent Care Centre will also be developed to house a number of existing health services on the community hospital site. In addition, the Scottish Ambulance Service plans to relocate its existing ambulance station in the Riverside area of Stirling to a new facility on the Stirling Community Hospital site.

Alongside the development of the new purpose-built health and care accommodation, partners are keen to develop a range of onsite recreational facilities, such as a café and a hair salon.

A community information event will be held on January 25 to give local people and community groups an opportunity to see the site plans and provide an update on the construction timetable for the new Stirling Care Village.

Tom Steele, NHS Forth Valley’s director of estates and facilities, said: “A great deal of work has been carried out by all the partners to reach this important milestone. We are delighted that our joint plans have been approved and we are now looking forward to delivering these important new health and care facilities.”

Gary Bushnell, chief executive, hub East Central Scotland, added: “Our team has worked closely with all the partners to achieve this important stage of the project and we look forward to managing the delivery of a high quality facility to successful completion. Our experts will ensure that the Stirling Care Village is completed to the highest standard to fulfil its important role in the community.”