Green light for £19m housing and healthcare development in Whitchurch
Health organisations have signed off an agreement to start work on a £19.1m housing and healthcare development in north Shropshire.
The Pauls Moss scheme, in Whitchurch is set to bring modern health and care services to the town, and bring the existing GP practice into a modern, purpose-built centre and community space.
It will also offer combined housing and care services for the over-55s – helping to meet the needs for Shropshire’s growing, and ageing population.
The Wrekin Housing Group, Shropshire Council, NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and local GPs have now signed an agreement to begin work on the development being built by Vistry Partnerships West Midlands.
It is now set to begin in January 2022.
Wayne Gethings, group chief executive at The Wrekin Housing Group, thanked Shropshire Council, local GPs and the CCG for all their hard work and cooperation.
He added: “This is an excellent example of partners coming together to provide modern, attractive and fully integrated housing and health services for Whitchurch and the surrounding areas.
“Ensuring this project progresses during the current covid-19 pandemic has been really important to us. The Pauls Moss development will also provide a significant social and economic benefit to the local community – including the creation of apprenticeship opportunities for young people during the construction process.”
Tim Smith, assistant director commercial services at Shropshire Council said: “This is great news for Whitchurch. We are delighted that all partners have come together to make this a reality.
"Pauls Moss will have a hugely positive impact on the local area, not only providing high quality housing for older people, but a new and improved health facility in which frontline staff can continue to deliver excellent patient care.”
Claire Parker, director of partnerships at NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: “For several years, there has been a genuine need of a new health centre that meets the needs of the local community and surrounding areas.
"Our priorities are to ensure we have high quality and sustainable GP services locally. The new centre at Pauls Moss will allow patients to access more and varied services, housed in comfortable, modern premises fit for the future.”
Dr Tim Lyttle, GP Partner Churchmere Medical Group said: "The staff of Churchmere are all thrilled to have confirmation that work will shortly commence on our new health centre.
"The new health centre will enable us to continue to provide the best possible care for our Whitchurch patients in modern premises. After many years of planning, we are grateful to all those who have come together to support the practice and reach agreement on this project".
Construction on the development is due to be completed in summer 2024.
James Warrington, divisional managing director for Vistry Partnerships, said: “We have extensive experience designing and constructing extra care schemes and we are very pleased to be working in partnership with The Wrekin Housing Group .
"As one of the country’s leading regeneration specialists we recognise the need to support our partners to build homes across all tenures, particularly homes and care services for older people.”
