Hope for protesters in health centre row
Blackpool Gazette | By Julia Bennett | NHS Blackpool | 27 August 2009
THE battle for Poulton’s new health centre has stepped up a gear.
The development was put forward by the Baxter Group Ltd after talks with neighbours, furious at the plans to build a health centre on Vicarage Road.
Rushcliffe Healthcare, on behalf of NHS Blackpool, put forward the original proposals, which are also still awaiting a decision.
Under the Vicarage Road scheme, St Chad’s Tennis Club would be relocated to Moorland Tennis Club and a new church hall would be built.
John Bailie, spokesman for Concerned Residents Of Poulton (CROP), said: “This is very positive news and reflects the massive response our organisation has received in favour of the Station Road site – around 3,300 so far.
“This is not just a far better and more spacious location for the medical centre, it is also a fantastic opportunity to rid the town of an ugly, derelict area and a great chance to turn Poulton round to its rightful position as the showpiece of the Fylde.”
Both schemes would house Queensway Medical Centre, Poulton Clinic and Lockwood Avenue Surgery as well as providing other facilities, such as a pharmacy and a cafe.
In a statement, a spokesman for Baxter Group, said: “There are two advantages of this app-lication, which are the development of a long standing derelict site and cleaning up a contaminated site and bringing it back into use.”
The Station Road application includes highway improvements, including signal controlled pedestrian crossings at the crossroads of Breck Road, Station Road and Parry’s Way, a bus lay-by and resident parking bays on Station Road and the widening of that road to two lanes.
A total of 118 parking spaces, including 12 mobility spaces, would be provided as well as a drop off area, turning circle, motorcycle and cycle parking. The plans also detail landscaping throughout the site.
Letters of support state the scheme would regenerate a derelict site and smarten up the main route into Poulton.
But the council has also rec-eived letters of objection citing reasons such as the site is “out of town”, Breck Road is frequently congested and the development will cause noise.
The plans were re-submitted in April after being shelved last year following criticism from residents over concerns of loss of community facilities and increased traffic problems.
NHS Lancashire bosses say it would cost more than £2m to prepare the Station Road land for development while £600,000 had already been spent on the other scheme.
A spokesman for Wyre Council said: “Negotiations are still ongoing with the applicant so we cannot comment on when the application will be determined at this stage.”
Wyre Council planning committee will discuss the Station Road application on September 2.
Alternative Providers of Primary Care 
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