Shipston Town Council supports plans which pave the way for a new medical centre

Long awaited proposals for a new medical centre to cater for the growing population of Shipston and surrounding villages have moved a step closer. Plans now being progressed could see the centre built on the Campden Road.

Shipston Medical Centre has been offered land on the Ainscough Strategic Land (ASL) site, north of Campden Road, which was granted planning permission on appeal for a supermarket, petrol station, extra care housing and new homes. The land was offered on condition that Stratford District Council gives permission for 95 new homes on another site, south of Campden Road, which has since been granted by SDC’s planning committee.

Following a lengthy discussion at its meeting in April, Shipston Town Council voted to support ‘in principle’ ASL’s latest planning application on the south of Campden Road, on the condition that land previously earmarked for a community building on the ‘supermarket’ site, would be given to the medical centre. Under the terms of the agreement, development on the south site will not be able to begin until the site identified for the medical centre has been transferred.

Councillors raised concerns both about the speed of the proposal and the prospect of more houses for Shipston, on top of other large schemes proposed or approved. Overall, however, the town council felt there was a wider benefit to the community of accepting the proposal.

Chair of the planning working group, Martin Ferrier, said: “We recognise that this is an emotive issue and there are no easy answers. It is clear that Shipston Medical Centre will not be able to continue to provide the current level of services  without a new building and having considered all the arguments, the town council believes, on balance, that the proposal on the table is the best chance we have of securing the long term future of GP services for the town.”

ASL is only providing the land for the medical centre and associated parking. Shipston Medical Centre will still need to apply for funding from NHS England to build the centre. Dr David Williams, GP Partner, said: “We are grateful to town and district councillors and our patients for their support in helping us take a big step forward in our plans to build a new medical centre.”

Work will now begin on securing the vital funding from NHS England to enable a new centre to be built.