Braintree District Council has selected a specialist developer to take the development of a medical centre in Sible Hedingham on to the next step.
OneMedical Group, a company which specialises in the creation of health care properties, have won a bid to develop the centre after a tender process.
A plot of land on Osier Way was safeguarded for the development of a health centre when Bloor Homes were granted planning permission to build homes on the old Premdor site.
The Council, together with NHS Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), identified this land as an opportunity for investment and have been looking at the best way of bringing a medical centre forward on the site to replace the three GP surgeries local to the area, all run by the Hedingham Medical Centre.
After evaluating the options, the Council, Mid Essex CCG and the Hedingham Medical Centre, have agreed that OneMedical Group – a specialist in the development of health care properties – should take the project forward and on to the next stage.
The Council is now looking to transfer the land to OneMedical Group for it to proceed with the scheme on behalf of Mid Essex CCG and the GP surgeries. OneMedical Group will invest in the build and development of the facility and will own and manage it once it is complete.
Once built, the medical centre will have the capacity to serve about 10,000 patients from Sible and Castle Hedingham and the surrounding villages.
Cllr Kevin Bowers, Cabinet Member for Housing, Assets and Skills at Braintree District Council, said: “We are pleased that, together with our partners, we have found a specialist provider with the right expertise and experience to take this project on and forward to the next stage. We know how important good healthcare facilities and services are to residents, which is why we have been doing all that we can to help facilitate that process.”
Dan Doherty, Alliance Director – Mid Essex for the Mid and South Essex CCGs, said: “Ensuring the communities we serve have high-quality, sustainable and safe NHS services is our priority. A key part of delivering on that is making sure local GP practices have accessible, modern premises, so we are very pleased this arrangement is moving forward. We are grateful to the Council, Hedingham Medical Centre and OneMedical Group for working with us to make it happen.”
OneMedical Group will soon arrange and share details of virtual engagement events, where the team will listen to and answer questions, and share information about the project. Residents can email Feedback@onemedicalgroup.co.uk to ask questions and register their interest in the events.
Cllr Hylton Johnson, Ward Councillor for Hedingham at Braintree District Council, said: “I am delighted that the plans for a new healthcare facility in Sible Hedingham are moving forward. The delivery of a centre which meets modern standards will benefit patients, residents and the local community for many years to come. I would encourage residents local to the area to register their interest in the virtual events to find out more about the plans and the project.”
Subject to planning approval, work is expected to start at the site early next year.