Plans to build a new health care centre in Bingley have taken a major step forward.

Planning chiefs have given the go-ahead to the £11.6m scheme at Kingsway and Bradford and Airedale Teaching Primary Care Trust's board has also just approved the business case for the development.

Negotiations are still going ahead with Bingley Grammar School and Bradford Council over the sale of the site.

The new centre will replace facilities currently provided at Bingley Health Centre and Bingley Hospital. Three practices - Springfield Surgery, Priestthorpe Medical Centre and Drs Jennings and Robson - will move to the new centre from their current premises which are overcrowded and unsuitable for expansion.

The centre will be developed by Bradford and Airedale Care Partnerships Limited, the LIFT company, and the architect is Leeds-based Goddard Wybor Practice.

It is hoped building work will start in June and be completed by the end of 2009.

Sally Ironfield, estates manager at Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT said: "This is a huge step forward for us in getting this long-awaited development off the ground.

"The new centre will provide much more spacious and flexible accommodation which can be adapted to a range of services and be adjusted to meet the changes in care and levels of demand from the local community in the future.

"There will be lots of sharing space across different organisations which will encourage them to work closer together.

"We also plan for the centre to be used out of hours by community groups for things like exercise classes."

Dr Simon Gazeley, of Springfield Medical Practice, said: "All the practices involved are delighted with the news of progress on the new building.

"We have been working closely with the tPCT to ensure the best use of space and design. We are really looking forward into moving into the new centre and being able to work more closely with the other practices and services.

"The building will provide us with excellent facilities. It will also give us a great opportunity to offer the highest quality healthcare to Bingley residents."

A glass atrium is a major feature of the new building to create light and a feeling of well-being for patients and staff.

GP services will be on the ground floor of the two-storey centre, with access from Kingsway.

There will be two separate receptions and self-care areas, which will include equipment such as blood pressure and weight monitoring and access to health promotion information. There will also be an on-site pharmacist.

The upper floor also has a level entrance to the main 105-space car park. It will accommodate district nurses, health visitors, mental health teams, physiotherapy, orthotics, contraception advice and sexual health services, podiatry, minor surgery and a range of consultant services to ensure that most hospital care, excluding major surgery, is provided closer to people's homes.

New facilities will include a health education room, three outpatient consultant rooms, four treatment rooms used by midwifery and sexual health teams and four counselling rooms, including a therapy room. Consultant-led services planned for the future include ophthalmology and audiology.

A patient user group has been involved throughout the development. In response to their request a community cafe will be provided.

e-mail: claire.lomax@bradford.newsquest.co.uk

  • Start or join a debate on this issue in our online forum - Click here