Health bosses are set to spend £500,000 on management consultants to take forward the redevelopment of Surbiton Hospital as a brand new £15m polyclinic.

The money is the next step in bringing the hospital back to its former glory after consultants from McKinsey issued a report saying the sums for a brand new hospital added up.

The Ewell Road site was facing closure and potential sale to private developers two years ago when the Surrey Comet collected a 7,000-strong petition to keep it open.

The mix of health and council services on the 19,000 sq m (1.9 ha) site could be decided as early as the end of April with GP surgeries, x-rays, physiotherapy and midwifery, a dentist, and even a library or a gym being mooted.

Residents would be asked what they think by the beginning of September.

Surbiton Hill councillor Paul Johnston said: "I am very pleased.

"It is the sort of progress I have been wanting to see happen.

"People will be pleased to see there's a definite attempt to get on with it and the future of the site is safe for health care."

Kingston Primary Care Trust chief executive David Smith will ask his board of directors on Monday to invest the money to bring in a team of consultants to manage the redevelopment of Surbiton Hospital and prepare a strong business case to win over NHS planning rules.

To get approval to redevelop the hospital site, a case outlining the finance and strategy will need to be produced to pass NHS "gateway" tests in July.

Before then the PCT still needs to agree which GPs would move onto the site, what kinds of health services would operate, and whether it should bring back community beds to the hospital.

The programme director will need to be a "high calibre individual" to manage the Surbiton polyclinic project, as well as any other polyclinics in the pipeline including Chessington and Hook.

Outside consultants from a "major firm" will keep the scheme on track and "avoid costly mistakes". Technicial advice on legal issues, property and design will need to be bought in as well. The NHS London Polyclinic team will also offer advice.

• Kingston Primary Care Trust board will meet on Monday at Hollyfield Road at 2pm. See the agenda at kingstonpct.nhs.uk/board_room.