Hucknall councillors will look into potential for sixth form centre to become health hub

The sixth form centre, jointly run by Holgate Academy and National Academy, is being phased out in the next two years as schools take post-16 courses in-house.

And Hucknall residents are already demanding in numbers that, once it is no longer being used for education, the building on Portland Road, be turned into the proposed new health centre to bring badly-needed increased GP and dentisty services to the town.

Posting on the Dispatch’s Facebook page, comments have included:

"Turn it into a walk-in NHS centre, God knows Hucknall needs it.”

"This the most perfect building to turn into a modern medical facility fit for the growing population of Hucknall.”

"Please let this be a new health centre, and not another empty building left to rot.”

"Health centre or emergency walk-in centre, much needed and there’s plenty of parking, local MPs need to get behind this and deliver.”

"That's the health hub right there. Any other use is another slap in the face from all the politicians making all the decisions about hucknall without ever asking anyone here what we want.”

"It should have been the new health centre so hope they see sense and do it now.”

The health hub project has been on ice after plans to build it on part of Piggins Croft Car Park were scrapped and proposals to turn the derelict Seven Stars pub on West Street into it were paused.

Coun Dave Shaw (Ash Ind), who represents Hucknall West at County Hall, said: “At this moment in time, the NHS has paused plans for a brand new health centre on West Street, along with plans for five other Cavell Super Health Centres across the country because of a lack of Government funding.

“We are continually lobbying the Government to ensure we get the health centre that residents in Hucknall need and deserve.

“News that our sixth form centre may become vacant is something that has alerted us to the potential for future use.

"We have written to education bosses at County Hall to ask them what their plans are for the site, as that is unclear at present.”