New Wigan health and wellbeing centre plans are given the green light

The ‘state-of-the-art’ facility in Aspull, which will include an on-site pharmacy and other health services, is set to replace the current clinic in Haigh Road.

The neighbouring surgery will stay open until construction of the centre is complete, after which it will also be demolished and turned into a car park.

Aspull, New Springs and Whelley councillor Chris Ready said the doctors surgery is now ‘dilapidated’ and the new hub has been ‘a long time coming’.

He said: “Health is probably the most important thing in the community.

“The reaction from the public has been really good. It’s a big bonus to the area.”

No objections to the planning application by healthcare developer One Medical Group were received by Wigan Council, according to a report.

The two-storey building is said to have been designed with ‘the concept of evolving the face of what primary care should be in the 21st century’.

Around 10,000 patients would be registered with GPs at the new centre.

A digital triage suite would be used to screen patients, offering telephone or video consultations as an alternative to attending the centre in person.

Group room space has been designed ‘with the community in mind’ and, together with the main reception and waiting area, could be used ‘more flexibly to proactively promote health and wellbeing within the facility’.

There would be 11 consulting and treatment rooms in total including those on the first floor for services run by Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust.

Support space for staff of the North West Ambulance Service is also included alongside office space which would be used for other public sector organisations.

The pharmacy is being developed speculatively, according to the proposals.

There would be 46 parking spaces provided on site, including four accessible bays, two motorcycle bays and six spaces with electric vehicle charging

points.

The development will be funded and owned by applicant One Medical Group, which will then lease the facility primarily to Aspull Surgery as the main occupier over a long-term lease period, according to the planning application.

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