A LACK of public transport to the new Hastings Community Health Services centre in High Street means some of the people most in need of its services are unable to get there.

It could also hamper the development of Hastings Community House, which is based at the centre.

The house is extending its opening hours, offering new courses and carrying out renovations to its new base in an effort to attract new users, but co-ordinator Lisa Glover says many people cannot get there.

There is no public transport to the $16million community health services centre - next to Western Port Secondary College - which opened with an official fanfare at the beginning of the month.

Peninsula Health executive director of planning and infrastructure Brendon Gardner said inadequate public transport affected some health service clients in Hastings.

"Access to public transport is a major issue across the Mornington Peninsula, and Hastings is no exception," he said.

Lisa Glover said a lack of pedestrian crossings on busy Frankston-Flinders Road added to the problem, making it especially difficult for elderly people on foot or motorised scooters as well as parents with prams.

The community house reluctantly agreed to moved from its base in Marine Parade when the leaking roof of the ageing building made staying there untenable, but it always argued that the new building on High Street was too far from the town centre. A survey of community house users found the majority walked to the centre in Marine Parade, a short stroll from the main shopping centre.

Hastings Football Club has donated the use of its bus and a driver to pick up elderly participants of a weekly singing group that meets at the house.

Mornington Peninsula Shire manager of infrastructure strategy Niall McDonagh said the shire was working on "a proposal for the introduction of a new service linking to this facility" but would not say what service was proposed or when it would start.

Cerberus Ward councillor Reade Smith said the shire was negotiating for a cross-peninsula bus service from Hastings to Mornington that would stop at the centre. There were also plans for improving bike and pedestrian access to Western Port Secondary College, which would benefit the centre.