Whitchurch health centre gets green light as High Court rejects application for judicial review
A health care centre will be built in Whitchurch after a high court judge ruled in favour of Shropshire Council’s decision to grant planning permission for the development.
Judgment was handed down yesterday by the High Court in the legal challenges brought against the council’s decisions to grant planning permission to Wrekin Housing Trust to provide extra care residential development and a new medical centre on land known as Pauls Moss in Whitchurch.
The council had previously refused an application that included the demolition of Pauls Moss Mansion House. The approved applications, which were subject to judicial review, retained Pauls Moss Mansion House as part of the scheme.
The court decided that planning permission was granted lawfully and therefore declined to quash the permission.
Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) had warned that if the plans for a modern health centre were overturned by Whitchurch could face a future with no GP health centre.
It was so concerned it launched a petition last year calling on the objectors to withdraw the application for a judicial review.
The Wrekin Housing Group, in partnership with the NHS and Shropshire Council, won planning permission to retain the existing Pauls Moss building and create a sheltered housing scheme for over 55s with on-site support available.
It also gifted the land on site to the NHS so it can build the new health centre.
The land surrounding the complex will be open to the public and the refurbished building will include a cafe and restaurant also with open access.
When the judicial review application was lodged the Save Pauls Moss group,wanted the planning permission suggesting the plans should be redesigned to be more sensitive to the area, with more open green space.
A statement from Shropshire CCG when the appeal was lodged said: "GP practices in Whitchurch are currently under threat, however this new health centre will mean retaining a practice in the town as part of the redevelopment of Pauls Moss."
Shropshire Council had rejected anoriginal plan for the site which had included the demolition of Pauls Moss House, which was at risk of being demolished. Wrekin Housing Trust returned with a fresh application proposing to retain the historic mansion and convert it into a cafe and community hub which was given the go ahead by the planning committee.
