Construction of a new £2.3m health centre at Kirkholt in Rochdale has begun with an official ground-breaking ceremony attended by local dignitaries.
Eric Wright Health and Care working with One Partnership; Rochdale Borough Council (RBC); Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Clinical Commissioning Group (HMR CCG); and the Kirkholt Medical Practice were joined on site by the leader of the council, Councillor Allen Brett; chief executive of RBC and the accountable officer of HMR CCG, Steve Rumbelow; and the chairman of HMR CCG, Dr Chris Duffy, to mark the occasion.
The health centre was designed by Triangle Architects and will be built by Nu Construction.
The 550sq m, two-storey building will house a range of GP-led primary care services provided by the Kirkholt Medical Practice.
Built to replace the current practice, which is delivered from a temporary structure on the site of a former roundabout; the building is located close to the Rochdale Boroughwide Housing’s Kirkholt Strand regeneration project.
Speaking about the scheme, Wayne Ashton, head of strategic planning at Eric Wright Health and Care, said: “This ceremony is the culmination of many years work to allow the GP and primary care services at Kirkholt to be delivered in fit-for-purpose, state-of-the-art accommodation.
“Rochdale Borough Council’s decision to release the land for the new health centre and to take the head lease on behalf of Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Clinical Commissioning Group has helped to facilitate this development.
“With the project now underway we are working to a completion date of spring 2020.”
Dr Chris Duffy, chairman of HMR CCG, added: “We have worked long and hard with the existing practice at Kirkholt and other partners to get us to this important stage, finally launching the building works for the new practice.”