Summer starting date for £1m Cleobury Mortimer health centre

Builders will move on to the former Muller England site in August and the first patients will be welcomed through the doors 12 months later.

Medical practice manager Sue Arrowsmith revealed the timetable at a meeting of Cleobury Mortimer Parish Council. Parish clerk Matt Sheehan hailed the announcement as 'brilliant news' for the town.

Shropshire Primary Care Trust granted funding for the new medical centre last month, more than a year after a land sale deal was agreed to allocate land for the new surgery.

Developer Matrix Medical said when the land deal was agreed that it would only complete the £170,000 deal to buy the land to build the medical practice once funding had been agreed.

Cleobury Mortimer Parish Council agreed to the deal to sell the land to Matrix in September 2011.

Mr Sheehan said: "We are absolutely delighted to hear that work on the centre will start in August.

"We had a very positive update from Sue Arrowsmith and she told us that work will take one year and should be ready for patients during August 2014.

"This is brilliant news for the town and its people and I am looking forward to the opening."

Officials at Shropshire County Primary Care Trust initially pledged to support the project for the medical practice in March last year.

Liz Welsh, Shropshire County PCT's Senior Commissioning Manager for Primary Care Contracts, said they recognised the benefits that the development would bring to patients in the area providing quality care and appropriate facilities. She said they looked forward to seeing the new premises.

The new practice will replace the surgery at Pinkham, which staff say is cramped and no longer fit for purpose.

Proposals were also suggested for the site by rival developers Bovis Homes and Blue Square. Blue Square has since unveiled plans to build a 60-bed nursing home on land opposite the medical centre site.

By Andrew Morris