New £8M health centre to be built

The still to be named Wardleworth and Hamer health centre

Plans to build two innovative state-of-the-art health centres in the borough of Rochdale have been given the go ahead.

The multi-million pound investments are the next stages in Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT’s developments to improve access to health services for everyone across the borough.

The purpose-built centres, one in Heywood and one for Wardleworth and Hamer, will be modern and spacious, offering improved facilities for patients and staff.

John Pierce, Chair at Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Primary Care Trust said: “This is excellent news for residents across the Rochdale borough and we look forward to seeing the new constructions develop. The buildings are being built right in the heart of local communities, providing new and modern services that are much closer to home for patients.

“These superb, modern facilities are all being designed to adapt to the needs of local communities. They will improve patient access to services, including some that are currently only available in hospital, and will reduce waiting times for treatments.”

As a ‘joint service centre,’ the Heywood site on Pine Street will offer local medical and council services. The joint project, with Heywood New Deal for Communities and Rochdale Borough Council, will incorporate the existing library and civic centre and provide a wide range of services, more than half of which are being transferred from the Taylor Street clinic. Work begins this summer on the centre and is scheduled to complete towards the end of 2009.

Adrienne Curran, Vice Chair of the New Heart for Heywood Partnership and a member of the steering group said “It is great news that this project can progress. It means that the way services both council and medical are delivered in Heywood will be able to be delivered from a building fit for purpose.”

The Wardleworth and Hamer development, which will be built on the former Croft Mill on Belfield Road, will be a hub for children’s services and provide a base for family doctors including a new GP practice. Construction will be completed by late 2009.

The developments are being built in partnership with the Eric Wright Group. Director Mike Collier said ‘We are delighted to be working in partnership with the Primary Care Trust in the delivery of these exciting schemes. The grant of planning permission represents a significant milestone in ensuring that these new facilities are delivered on programme.

Finishing touches are being added to our first Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) centre in Alkrington as services begin to move in, and construction is well underway at the new centre in Deeplish, which is due to open later this year.

And the plans don’t stop there as proposals are already in place for more centres in Middleton and Littleborough.