Hucknall's Piggins Croft car park confirmed as first-choice site for new health centre

The board is made up of local health bosses and meeting minutes seen by the Dispatch show that the decision was made in October with this being ratified by the board this week.

The decision has been welcomed by the ruling Ashfield Independents on Ashfield District Council, who said it showed that ‘significant progress was being made to deliver the new health centre Hucknall needs’.

Cavell Centres are community health hubs which offer a range of joined-up health and social care services for the local population in one place closer to their homes.

Locally, this collaborative project is being led by the council, NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and the Byron Primary Care Network.

The report said: “Piggins Croft was chosen as the preferred site based on the qualitative analysis of options.

"The quantitative analysis is being carried out and will be completed in time for the result to be reported at the board meeting.”

Council has already confirmed close to £1 million in funding towards the project aimed at solving Hucknall’s health crisis.

Coun David Shaw (Ash Ind), who represents Hucknall North, said: “We welcome the fact that at our suggestion, health bosses are pushing forward for the new centre to be based in the heart of Hucknall.

"The minutes show massive progress with plans that would revolutionalise health care in our town.

"Hucknall is only one of six locations in the country that has been shortlisted to bid for an all singing and dancing health centre.

"That’s due to the tenacity of our campaign to improve access to healthcare in our town.”

Documents show that the outline business case will be published on December 7.

The minutes also touch upon the issue of the loss of car parking space and the fact that public money was spent resurfacing a car park that is now set to have a health centre built on it.

The papers say the loss of car parking space in Piggins Croft should be countered by signposting people to other car parks close by in the vicinity – and whether free parking is viable – together with public transport routes.

It adds that when the resurfacing work was happening, funding had not yet been secured for the Cavell Centre.

They also show that health bosses plan to consult local people about their preferred name for the new centre.

Coun Jason Zadrozny (Ash Ind), council leader, said: “This will be a one-stop shop for health care and would transform access to healthcare for Hucknall residents.

"It wouldn’t just be a GP Practice – it would provide a whole host of other services. It would be a modern, fit for purpose healthcare estate.

"Delivering this, has been a huge priority of the Ashfield Independent council and we’re pleased that Piggins Croft has been officially chosen as the preferred site.

"I am calling for all politicians to come together now, put politics to one side and work as one to ensure that all Hucknall residents have the access to healthcare they deserve.”