Shrewsbury’s Riverside Medical Practice to move to town’s Tannery site
Shrewsbury’s Riverside Medical Practice is set to move to a new home in the town’s Tannery development, after Shropshire Council agreed to invest in the work required to accommodate the practice, as part of its plans to support the regeneration of Shrewsbury’s West End.
Three blocks are set to be completed on the Tannery site. Works are nearing completion on the first block which will provide student accommodation for University Centre Shrewsbury (UCS) in the new academic year.
Subject to agreement of terms between Shropshire Council and the Riverside Medical Practice, the practice will occupy the majority of the second block to be constructed, with a new pharmacy also set to be provided on the site.
The appropriate work will then be carried out to ensure that the building accommodates the medical practice, with the new practice set to open in 2019.
The decision was made by Shropshire Council’s Cabinet and full Council at their respective meetings last week.
Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s deputy leader and Cabinet member for corporate and commercial support, said:
“This is brilliant news for Shrewsbury and for Shropshire, for the council and for the Riverside medical practice and its patients. It will mean that the medical practice can remain in a town centre location, and also allows Shropshire Council to influence the provision of health services in the local area, by investing in the development of improved health facilities.
“The revised use for the second block fits will also help us achieve our objectives of regenerating the West End of Shrewsbury. “
“We want to help ensure the health of our residents by ensuring that there are good quality, sustainable, health services in the county. Our investment in the new medical centre will help us to do this, and will provide the opportunity for a local practice to have modern, fit for purpose facilities with space for expansion to support growth in patient numbers.”
Dr Julian Povey, Chair of Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group and a local GP, said:
“This is a great example of partnership working between the CCG, Shropshire Council and the practice all working together to successfully achieve a positive outcome that will result in a purpose-built modern medical centre.
“I am particularly pleased we have secured a site in the town centre which will allow the practice to grow and extend its current services.”
Tracy Willocks, Business Manager for Riverside Medical Practice, said
“We were extremely disappointed when Shropshire Council withdrew the sale of the previously identified site in Raven Meadows earlier this year. However we are pleased to hear the good news with regards to these new proposals for the alternative development in the town centre. Our patients and staff have waited for many years for this project to come to fruition and we hope we can now move forward and deliver the excellent patient care our patients deserve.”
Dr Sarah Harwood, GP Partner at Riverside Medical Practice said:
“We’re delighted to be moving forward again after a halt to the process earlier this year. These new premises will secure the future of Primary Care in the town centre, with a building that will enable us to grow and develop our services for the decades ahead.”
Background information
- In June 2017, Shropshire Council approved the phased construction of student accommodation at The Tannery site along with other identified uses. This approval extended to the construction of two blocks on the Tannery site connected by a two storey infill block which will provide 60 units of student accommodation, along with three units of ground floor retail accommodation and office accommodation. The plans were subsequently revised to allow alternatives uses to be considered.
- The latest student numbers supplied by UCS suggest steady growth in line with the previous more recent forecasts which indicate Mardol House and the Tannery student accommodation will provide adequate provision until 2021/22.
- Riverside Medical Practice will occupy the majority of the second block. This would replace the proposed exclusive office use originally envisaged for the block.
- As the work will go out to tender, the cost of the scheme and the value of the Shropshire Council investment is commercially sensitive and therefore cannot be disclosed.
