BUILDING work on a long- awaited multi-million-pound health centre, which will be home to all the doctors' surgeries in Nantwich, starts next week.
The sale of the old Crowsfoot Centre site has been confirmed but concerns have long been mounting about the number of parking spaces available when the work begins on Wednesday.
The building site will take up the existing coach and lorry park and part of the Civic Hall car park, which will be closed during the 18-month construction period. Some spaces will be returned to use when work has finished.
Paul Burns, business manager for town centres and parking for Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council, said: 'The new centre will cover a part of the car park equivalent to about 50 car spaces. About 150 spaces will still be availablehereandmore than650inthe town as a whole.
'We know that during festivals and holiday times there is a greater demand for parking in and around town, so we are already in discussion with two town centre schools and with landowners around the railway station to provide some overflow long-stay parking jointly with us.
'In the meantime, there are several other car parks close to the town centre where people can go, even more so if they are able to choose to visit town on the less busy days, mainly Monday to Wednesday.'
Initial discussions have taken place with Malbank School on Welsh Row to make its car park available to public use at busy times and Brine Leas High School on Audlem Road is also being considered.
Cllr John Hammond, local environment portfolioholder, said:'Thisisa positive move for the people of Nantwich and the surrounding area.
'The council will do its utmost to replace long-stay parking over the coming months as part of its developing car parking strategy and to en-sure that the visitor and retail economy continues to thrive.'
Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council approvedplans forthehealthcentre back in November 2005, when it was hoped the centre would be ready for February 2007. But legal delayed any building work.
Cllr John Dwyer said: 'We are very pleased that agreement has now been reached between the primary care trust and the council and that the new centre can go ahead.' technicalities
Facility with all the mod cons
ACCOMMODATION at the health centre in Nantwich will be provided for 20 GP consulting rooms, dental facilities, administrative areas and a ground-floor pharmacy.
There will be 16 doctors, with provision for another four, and the centre will have the capability to accommodate trainees.
There will be occupational therapy, a minor operations theatre and a fully equipped gym for physiotherapy.
Centre managers hope to invite consultants from Leighton Hospital to come in and hold clinics.
A shortage of doctors reached crisis point in Nantwich three years ago, when the town's health centres could not add any more patients to their books.
Surgeries struggled to cope with the demand as the town's population swelled and housing developments stepped up.
