Eric Wright Health and Care, working in partnership with Wigan Council and Wigan Borough Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), has commenced the construction of a new £4million health centre in Ashton in Makerfield, Wigan, Greater Manchester.
Situated on the site of the former town hall, Eric Wright Health and Care acquired the site from the Council in 2015 and successfully achieved planning in 2017. Eric Wright Construction has been appointed as main contractor to deliver the scheme, which sits adjacent to St. Oswald’s Primary School.
The scheme is a show case of the Healthier Wigan initiative that looks to improve the health and wellbeing of local residents and will support the regeneration of Ashton in Makerfield. On Friday 9th November an official sod cutting ceremony took place with local representatives from St Oswald’s Primary School, whose students prepared some art work that will decorate the site hoarding. The partnership will continue to work with the school throughout the construction process.
When complete, the 1,100 square metre building will comprise two GP practices, medical centre and Bryne Street Practice on the first floor, with the ground floor used for community services, including the integrated health and social care teams. There is also an area on the ground floor meeting/community area that has been designed so it can be used out of hours by local community groups.
Additional features include an ambulance standby point which has been included to provide a location where crews can rest between calls. Solar Panels have also been installed which improve the building’s sustainability credentials and make the project more cost-effective.
As part of Eric Wright’s commitment to the scheme, the company has committed funding for the creation of additional infrastructure including a new pedestrian crossing, Community Alley gates on Council Avenue, improved pedestrian access to St Oswald’s Primary School on Council Avenue, improvements to the car park on Millingford Grove and a travel plan that will help guide patients and staff the best way to access the health centre.
Wayne Ashton, Head of Strategic Planning at Eric Wright Health and Care, commented: “Over the course of our involvement in the project, we have worked closely with the Council, the NHS, the school and the local community, to create a building which is integrated into its surroundings. When finished, the centre will provide the community with exceptional facilities to support their health and wellbeing. With work already underway, we are working towards a completion date of summer next year.”
Dr Tim Dalton, Local GP and Chair of NHS Wigan Borough CCG, said: “We are delighted to be able to bring a new health centre to local residents in Ashton. This is a major step forward in the quality of the health facilities in the area and I look forward to seeing the building work progress over the coming months.”
