New surgery plan for estate
By Jo Deeks on Thursday, 29th November 2001.
RESIDENTS and local councillors have welcomed plans for a new surgery to be built on the Clements Estate at Haverhill, and hope it will help attract more doctors to the town.
At a meeting of the West Suffolk Borders Primary Care Group Board plans were unveiled for a land swap with adjacent land owned by St Edmundsbury Borough Council.
A new surgery would be built on the council owned land, allowing the council to use the land where the current surgery is as part of a proposed housing development.
The report to the hoard said that following the resignation of two doctors, the Clements practice was left with one permanent doctor and two locums. There had been no response to adverts by the surgery for replacement partners.
Ashley House. a property development company, had been engaged by the practice to look at options for their premises. The practice favoured the new surgery, rather than alterations or extensions to the existing one.
“There are many hoops to go through but Ashley House. the council and the practice are cautiously optimistic,” a report to the board said.
Last year residents on the estate organised a petition in protest at plans by Clements surgery to build a new surgery at Hanchett End and reduce services at their existing one. Plans for the Hanchett End surgery were later withdrawn.
A statement issued by Clements surgery said the plan was considered the best way of upgrading their facilities, as the existing premises could be used as normal while the new surgery was being built.
“We of course have every intention of staying within as close proximity as possible to the existing building, given the concerns raised previously by local residents and ward councillors,” Yvonne Mayes, practice manager, said in the statement.
Richard Coombes, valuation and estates manager for St Edmundsbury Borough Oiincil, said the plan was in its very early days and not yet subject of a planning application. However, he would be working as quickly as possible with the surgery and the developers to work out how the plan could go ahead.
Peter Watkins, chairman of the New Clements Residents Association, welcomed the plan. He said: “It looks quite promising, as long as they can manage to get the doctors for it.”
Alan Smith, St Edmundsbury Borough and Haverhill Town Councillor for the area, said he thought the practice had got the plan 100 per cent right
At a meeting of the West Suffolk Borders Primary Care Group Board plans were unveiled for a land swap with adjacent land owned by St Edmundsbury Borough Council.
A new surgery would be built on the council owned land, allowing the council to use the land where the current surgery is as part of a proposed housing development.
The report to the hoard said that following the resignation of two doctors, the Clements practice was left with one permanent doctor and two locums. There had been no response to adverts by the surgery for replacement partners.
Ashley House. a property development company, had been engaged by the practice to look at options for their premises. The practice favoured the new surgery, rather than alterations or extensions to the existing one.
“There are many hoops to go through but Ashley House. the council and the practice are cautiously optimistic,” a report to the board said.
Last year residents on the estate organised a petition in protest at plans by Clements surgery to build a new surgery at Hanchett End and reduce services at their existing one. Plans for the Hanchett End surgery were later withdrawn.
A statement issued by Clements surgery said the plan was considered the best way of upgrading their facilities, as the existing premises could be used as normal while the new surgery was being built.
“We of course have every intention of staying within as close proximity as possible to the existing building, given the concerns raised previously by local residents and ward councillors,” Yvonne Mayes, practice manager, said in the statement.
Richard Coombes, valuation and estates manager for St Edmundsbury Borough Oiincil, said the plan was in its very early days and not yet subject of a planning application. However, he would be working as quickly as possible with the surgery and the developers to work out how the plan could go ahead.
Peter Watkins, chairman of the New Clements Residents Association, welcomed the plan. He said: “It looks quite promising, as long as they can manage to get the doctors for it.”
Alan Smith, St Edmundsbury Borough and Haverhill Town Councillor for the area, said he thought the practice had got the plan 100 per cent right
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