Healthcare facility set for approval

Plans for a primary healthcare facility on the site of a former leisure centre in Horwich could soon secure approval.Applicant UHDL is seeking permission to construct a three-storey centre incorporating a pharmacy at the old Horwich Leisure Centre in Victoria Road.The proposed practice would replace three existing medical practices servicing Horwich, which a council report said are “considered no longer fit for purpose”.The practices are Horwich Clinic in Jones Street, Pike View Medical Centre in Albert Street and The Market Surgery (Bolton Community Practice) in Chorley New Road. The development is also in collaboration with the Royal Bolton Hospital Foundation Trust Community Services.According to the applicant, the development would enable the provision of primary care directly to 10,500 Horwich residents, while accommodating the provision of further community and extended services.The applicant said that the facility would enable a larger and broader primary care team, working in a fully “joined up” way with community teams, voluntary and third sector organisations within the neighbourhood. It added that the facility would support the shift in services from hospital to community settings.It is proposed that the healthcare facility will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.The proposed building includes a pharmacy on the ground floor and would offer a wide range of medical facilities and services, including GPs, community and mental health, diabetes and respiratory clinics and specialist physiotherapy.Two vehicular accesses are proposed into the site, one from Church Street to the north and one from Victoria Road to the south-east of the site.Also included are 200 parking spaces within the car park, 101 for the proposed healthcare facility and 99 for the existing and adjacent leisure centre. These include 12 disabled bays and ten EV charging spaces.The application will be reviewed by Bolton Council’s planning committee on Thursday (17 November).A report due before the committee added: “Officers consider that the public benefits of the development would substantially outweigh the less than substantial harm to the significance of the nearby heritage assets and the ‘some’ harm the development would have on the amenity of neighbouring residents by reason of its proposed 24-hour use.”Members are therefore recommended to approve this application subject to the suggested conditions.”