Our Involvement

Our involvement in the project began back in 2000 when we had discussions with the Pitts-Tucker GP practice about the possibility of a new health centre adjacent to the Civic Centre.  Initially these involved a private finance initiative (PFI) developer and focused on the use of the main Civic Centre car park as a location.  

When these discussions faltered, we entered into direct negotiations with the doctors with the objective that we would build a new health centre and rent it back to them.  We gradually assembled land behind the Civic Centre.  By the spring of 2003 a suitable site had been identified.

Around the same time the need to find a replacement for Pershore cottage hospital arose.  The former South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust (PCT) had expressed an interest in replacing the much-loved cottage hospital with beds on the ground floor of the new Heathlands residential home in front of the Civic Centre.   

Our newly formed Health Scrutiny Team did not consider Heathlands was a suitable option and instead identified the land assembly behind the Civic Centre as a possible site for a new hospital.  The whole Council later endorsed this view and to its great credit, the PCT accepted our recommendation.  A further piece of land was needed to complete the site area required, and after some negotiation we bought this.

Discussions over what exactly should be in the new building have not been without problems, largely because of funding constraints.  At one stage central government stopped all funding on GP practice premises and there was considerable delay whilst the position was clarified and worked through.  At one stage we even sent representatives to the local Strategic Health Authority to plead that the project be allowed to go forward.

Our architects, Tangram were severely tested by the constraints of the site and budgets.  However they have come up with a functional but handsome design which echoes the nearby Civic Centre.

Planning permission was granted in November 2004 and the project went out to tender in the spring of 2005.  Our building contractor, Ashford Construction, started work on site in October 2005.  We completed the project in autumn 2006.

For more information contact:

Brian Norfolk
Head of Corporate Projects
Telephone: 01386 565230 Between 9am - 5pm, Monday - Friday
Email: Brian.Norfolk@wychavon.gov.uk