Hucknall MP blasts Ashfield Independents for 'jumping the gun' on health centre announcement

As reported in the Dispatch online, papers from the Independents-led Ashfield District Council have confirmed that the derelict old Seven Stars pub on West Street is the new preferred location for the proposed health centre.

The major hub had initially been planned for part of the Piggins Croft car park, in Hucknall town centre.

But difficulties in finding space for the three-storey building without losing town centre car parking spaces meant a new site needed to be found.

But despite Coun Jason Zadrozny-Bland (Ash Ind), the council leader, publicly confirming the Seven Stars site it was now the authority’s preferred site for the centre, Nottinghamshire NHS leaders have said no official sign-off on using the former pub has been made and it did not confirm the location when asked.

Mr Spencer, posting on his Facebook page, said: “The Ashfield Independents are so desperate for good news given their mismanagement at Ashfield District Council and their plans to destroy the Hucknall greenbelt they once again are putting our health centre in jeopardy.

"Only last year they announced they had the money to build it when they didn’t, undoing all my efforts with the Treasury.

"Now desperate for good news (and to try and claw back votes for the Hucknall Central by-election) they finally recognise Piggins Croft is not the right location.

"However they have now jumped the gun on a new location.

No-one within the NHS has spoken about another site and clearly this speculation could make the price of any possible site increase and the planning process more difficult.

"I have written to the NHS asking for a urgent meeting to discuss the future of the new health centre.

“When will they learn?

“Their desperate attempts to regain any good will with the people of Hucknall are just damaging our future.

“Step aside, you don’t know what you’re doing, you’re making everything worse, stick to Kirkby and Sutton like you normally do.”

In response, Coun Zadrozny-Bland said: “We’ve been working on this for more than three years and the news that the health centre could be located at the Seven Stars pub is great news.

"I have personally ensured that the council is contributing £1.1 million for this excellent project and I, and other Ashfield Independent councillors, have been in meetings with health bosses including the local Clinical Commissioning Group – now the Integrated Care Board – on a number of occasions.

“Mark Spencer’s comments are laughable.

"I’ve not seen him in the meetings we’ve had to make this super health centre a reality.

"Politics is not a spectator sport and I’m afraid Mark Spencer has been a passenger in this whole process.

"He spent more time defending Boris Johnson than actually standing up for Hucknall residents.

"It’s no wonder residents are turning their backs on the Tories who have delivered nothing and just resort to this petty mudslinging.

"It’s the Ashfield Independents who are delivering in every way for Hucknall and the new health centre will be the icing on the cake.”