“Best Christmas present ever if it happens,” is how local Liberal Democrat Shaw councillor Howard Sykes described the plan for a new health centre for the district.

Shaw and Crompton councillors have been informed that a new health centre for Shaw and Crompton now looks possible by March 2023, but only if certain imminent deadlines are met.

Local councillors have been fighting for a new health centre for local patients for many years, being increasing concerned local people are missing out and disadvantaged.

Shaw Councillor and Liberal Democrat Group Leader Howard Sykes MBE said: “The current health centre is clearly no longer fit for purpose and we are in desperate need of a replacement modern facility.  Shaw and Crompton residents have found it

frustrating that, whilst their neighbours in Royton have been well-provided for, they have not.”

“Local Liberal Democrat councillors have been campaigning to right this injustice for years working behind the scenes to try and progress this project.  In our alternate budget last year, the Liberal Democrats found extra money to fund a replacement, but unfortunately this proposal was not supported by Labour or Conservative councillors.”

Now in correspondence with Crompton Liberal Democrat councillor Louie Hamblett, Mark Drury, the Head of Public Affairs at the NHS Oldham Clinical Commissioning Group, has confirmed that a proposal to invite a private developer to build a new health centre on the former Shaw Baths site is being pursued, with the support of the NHS and Oldham Council. 

Subject to various conditions and timescales, completion of the works is ‘currently expected no later than the end of March 2023’.

NHS funding has been awarded to support the scheme, but if the development is ‘not substantially underway’ by January next year the funding may be withdrawn, so ‘there is the need to treat the planned developments with a huge sense of urgency’.  One test will be the requirement to secure planning permission at an early date.  The other is to ensure new lease agreements are in place with the two GP practices that operate from the existing health centre. 

Councillor Sykes added:  “It is clear that we will need to move fast to ensure everything falls into place by January of next year in order to see our long-awaiting new health centre by the end of March 2023.  Residents can be assured that local Liberal Democrat councillors will continue to press for this development to move it forward as quickly as possible as we have all been waiting a long time for this.”