Councillor's ‘disappointment’ over progress on new Burntwood Health Centre
A senior councillor has expressed ‘disappointment’ over the progress over the new Burntwood Health Centre.
The project is set to facilitate the relocation of the Burntwood Health Centre, Salters Meadow Practice and the Darwin branch practice in Chasetown.
According to plans by the Integrated Care Board (ICB) the health centre was a top five priority and would future proof until 2035. A planning application was scheduled for submission in April this year, however, it has not been submitted.
The latest cost estimate for the centre was £10.7million and would have a gross internal floor area of 1,786 square metres and provide treatment rooms, waiting area, accessible showers and office space. The building was expected to be completed by December 2027.
However there is no sign that the planning application is set to be submitted. In February Lichfield District Council awarded the ICB £1.1million for a new primary health centre. Currently Burntwood Health and Wellbeing Centre is operating out of a portacabin.
Pressure is being applied to the ICB for a meeting to discuss the issue. It is understood that there has been a recent change in personnel which is causing some of the delays.
Councillor Sue Woodward told the overview and scrutiny committee at Lichfield District Council: “There’s still no planning application for the new health centre. It was supposed to be submitted by the end of April – it still hasn’t been submitted.
“At the very least we need to know what the planning application is going to look like. It obviously is not going to be completed by the end of 2025 now and it would take some time to go through the planning process. So it’s not likely to even start until next year. So delay upon delay upon delay.”
