Planned health centre in Wednesbury takes step forward after funding agreed
A medical centre in the Black Country has been given the green light after funding was secured to make the project a reality.
The state-of-the-art GP facility will be built in King Street, Wednesbury, on derelict land behind the Wednesbury Leisure Centre.
The move has been talked about for a number of years by health chiefs and council bosses but now funding has finally been sorted.
And now remediation work on the land – funded by the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) – will be completed by March next year.
Councillor Pete Hughes, who represents Wednesbury North, said: "This has been going on for a number of years – around six or seven years now.
"There's such a need for it and so there was work between the NHS and the council for the council to actually design, plan and build the premises for the NHS.
"It's probably one of the few cases where the council is developing for the NHS so I'm proud of that – and it was decided to use a derelict piece of land.
"There's been lots of consultation and it went through planning, but the main issue was trying to obtain the right funding package. There had been a commitment by the NHS and council, but there was still a gap in the funding relating to ground remediation works.
"They needed to get funding to clear up the land and the Black Country LEP agreed to fund it. We're now at a stage where it's going to be developed."
Sandwell Council has drawn up the plans alongside the Sandwell and West Birmingham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) – with construction on-site happening after ground work is finished.
Councillor Hughes said the work would also provide around five properties for people and called for both the leisure centre – and health centre – to join forces once work is complete.
"We're hoping now – with the money there – that we can get on and get it all sorted," he added.
