‘Urgent need’ for health centre at major Cambridgeshire development

A temporary health centre is planned to meet “urgent unmet need for health care” at a major development in Cambridgeshire. The master developer at the Alconbury Weald development, Urban and Civic, said it wants to create a temporary health centre to bridge the gap in demand before a permanent facility is built.

Around 6,500 new homes are due to be built on the former airfield, with the development of new homes well underway and many people now living there. The new health facility is proposed to be created in the vacant office space above the Co-op in The Boulevard. Plans submitted to Huntingdonshire District Council state that 10 consulting rooms could be created, as well as two treatment rooms for minor procedures, such as stitch removal.

Urban and Civic said it had spoken to the Integrated Care Board (ICB), which had said there is an “urgent and unmet need for health care” in the area. The developer said a permanent health centre is proposed to be created as part of the third main phase of development at Alconbury Weald. However, they said this was still a few years away from being built and an ICB assessment had indicated services in the area would be left “stretched and oversubscribed” until then.

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The developer said: “To support the delivery of these vital services at Alconbury Weald and support the growing community in the area, Urban and Civic in partnership with the ICB are proposing the temporary change of use of the upper floor to a health facility, primarily for GP’s, but also integrated care and mental health and wellbeing teams. The intention is that the five-year period sought in this application will allow this facility to help bridge the gap in the interim. Urban and Civic will retain ownership of this building and will lease the space to a local practice.”

The developer added that opening a temporary health centre would not delay the creation of a permanent facility. They explained that they expected the temporary facility, if approved, would be oversubscribed within its fourth year, showing there would still be need for the permanent centre. The developer said its plans would “respond to an acute short-term local need” and help make sure there are appropriate services in place for the people living at Alconbury Weald.

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