Bilston site to become health and social care hub
A community centre in Bilston will be redeveloped as a health and social care hub, after Wolverhampton Council bosses agreed to dispose of the property.
Lower Bradley Community Centre in Wallace Road was declared as being surplus to the council’s own requirements at a meeting of the city’s Cabinet Resources Committee on Wednesday.
Council chiefs were approached by the GP surgery currently occupying the centre with a proposal to purchase the site, in conjunction with the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) as financial lenders.
The plan is to redevelop it as a health and social care facility and lease it back in part, in order to retain the community element of the facility – along with offering additional health services on site.
Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, the council’s cabinet member for city assets and housing, said: “Lower Bradley Community Centre is currently owned by the council and is located within the Bilston East Ward.
“The corporate landlord is currently undertaking an ‘asset challenge’ process to identify potential assets for disposal to generate further capital receipts and revenue efficiencies.
“As part of the city-wide health and social care-led hub and spoke model, Lower Bradley Community Centre was presented as a location to support the main Bilston hub.
“The current running costs of this property per year are between £10,000 and £20,000, dependent on the level of repairs and maintenance undertaken.
“The building is currently occupied by a community association, occupying approximately two thirds of the property, and a GP surgery occupying approximately one third.
“This facility will be beneficial to everyone in the area, providing a state-of-the-art medical centre for the good people of Bilston.”
The site will now be offered directly to the GP surgery for its own acquisition as a special purchaser.
The estimated value of the property is £250,000, according to a valuation report undertaken by the District Valuer in February.
Committee chairman Councillor Stephen Simkins, deputy leader of the council, added: “This is right in my yard and I welcome this move as giving something back to the community which is going to be enormously beneficial for everyone."
