A HORWICH councillor has revealed that a “big step forward” has been made in plans to develop a new health and wellbeing hub in the town centre.
Horwich North East councillor Marie Brady says that the NHS has agreed the capital for the development of building. She said: "It's been a long time coming."
And she added: "A project team is being mobilised to produce a detailed project plan with estimated milestones to completion.
"The NHS system and GP practices are commencing further discussions on its delivery."
Planning permission for the on land opposite the new leisure centre in Victoria Road, the site of the former and demolished leisure centre, was originally given in 2016.
In March this year people were urged to have their say on the latest plans to bring forward the development.
The proposal would see GP services relocated to the new hub. The hub would also have a 170-space car park.
An artist's impression of what the hub could look like was issues to mark the start of a new public consultation exercise on the plan.
The building would become the new home of Pikes View Medical Centre and Bolton Community Practice, which would join up community services from the Royal Bolton Hospital Foundation Trust.
Health chiefs say the move would create "a huge opportunity" for the merger of health, wellness, and leisure services in the town.
The new health centre would provide a range of clinical services and treatments and be home to a primary care team of pharmacists, physicians, nurses and mental health practitioners offering a seven-day extended service.
The plans could also allow for some services such as MR scanning to be provided at the hub rather than at the hospital, meaning patients could be treated locally.
The proposal for a new health centre was previously outlined as an option for the former leisure centre site in a consultation undertaken to develop Horwich's Town Centre Masterplan in January 2020.
At the time of the consultation the proposal received "positive feedback" but the need for additional parking was highlighted.
The plans now include a car park with around 170 spaces which could be used by health centre and leisure centre users as well as providing long-stay parking for businesses and visitors to the town centre.
Speaking in March Dr Anne Talbot, clinical director at Bolton Community Practice, said: "This is an enormously exciting 'once-in-a-lifetime' opportunity to develop a facility for the Horwich community which is fit for the future needs of the population and ultimately aims to provide the bedrock for an improvement in the health and wellbeing outcomes of the people of Horwich."