Plans for a new health and wellbeing centre in the west end of Plymouth have taken a step forward, with planning permission granted for the building.
Plymouth City Council has this week approved an application to build the West End Health and Wellbeing Centre on a site at Colin Campbell Court.
Plymouth City Council and the NHS locally and nationally are working together on the project, which aims to bring a range of services together under one roof.
The new building would not only provide a much-needed modern health and community facility, but would help kick start the regeneration of the Stonehouse area.
Receiving planning permission marks a significant milestone but the project remains subject to business case approval and is dependent on confirmation of a funding source.
Council leader Richard Bingley said: “Our administration is ambitious to deliver first-class health and care across our fast-growing Ocean city.
“This health and wellbeing centre would be an important addition for our residents and would provide access to first-class healthcare right at the heart of our city.”
The project would see the relocation of three local GP practices – Adelaide Surgery, North Road West and Armada Surgery – to the proposed site, as well as the provision of some outpatient services run by University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP) in the building.
Dr Richard Ayres, from Adelaide Surgery, said: “This building could bring a huge range of services to those that need it most in our city. It would be the centre of a joined-up campaign to finally tackle the persistent health inequalities across our communities.”
Jo Turl, Director of Commissioning Primary, Community and Mental Health Care at Devon Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “This is an important moment for the project but there is still a long way to go. We look forward to working with our partners on the next stages of the project.”
Jonathan Cope, Associate Medical Director for Primary Care at UHP, added: “This is a great opportunity to work more closely with the community, primary care and the voluntary sector. It would have a real impact on the health outcomes for an important community within Plymouth.”
The project has previously received support from the Government’s One Public Estate Programme and Homes England.