Green light for £19m Pauls Moss, Whitchurch development

Work to bring much needed housing and health care facilities to Pauls Moss, Whitchurch will begin in January 2022.

Shropshire Council, The Wrekin Housing Group, NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and local GPs have now signed an agreement to begin work on the ground-breaking £19.1m development being built by Vistry Partnerships West Midlands.

The Pauls Moss scheme will provide the Whitchurch area with modern health and care services, and bring the existing GP practice into a modern, purpose-built centre and community space.

The development will also offer combined housing and care services for the over 55s – helping to meet the needs for Shropshire’s growing and ageing population.

Wayne Gethings, Group Chief Executive at The Wrekin Housing Group, said:

I would like to thank Shropshire Council, local GPs and the CCG for all their hard work and cooperation to help get this project over the line.

This is an excellent example of partners coming together to provide modern, attractive and fully integrated housing and health services for Whitchurch and the surrounding areas.

Ensuring this project progresses during the current pandemic has been really important to us. The Pauls Moss development will also provide a significant social and economic benefit to the local community – including the creation of apprenticeship opportunities for young people during the construction process.

Tim Smith, Shropshire Council’s assistant director of commercial services, said:

This is great news for Whitchurch. We are delighted that all partners have come together to make this a reality. Pauls Moss will have a hugely positive impact on the local area, not only providing high quality housing for older people, but a new and improved health facility in which frontline staff can continue to deliver excellent patient care.

Claire Parker, Director of Partnerships at NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said:

For several years, there has been a genuine need of a new health centre that meets the needs of the local community and surrounding areas. Our priorities are to ensure we have high quality and sustainable GP services locally. The new centre at Pauls Moss will allow patients to access more and varied services, housed in comfortable, modern premises fit for the future.

Dr Tim Lyttle, GP Partner Churchmere Medical Group said:

The staff of Churchmere are all thrilled to have confirmation that work will shortly commence on our new health centre. The new health centre will enable us to continue to provide the best possible care for our Whitchurch patients in modern premises.

After many years of planning, we are grateful to all those who have come together to support the practice and reach agreement on this project.

Construction on the development is due to be completed in summer 2024.

James Warrington, Divisional Managing Director for Vistry Partnerships, said:

We have extensive experience designing and constructing extra care schemes and we are very pleased to be working in partnership with The Wrekin Housing Group.

As one of the country’s leading regeneration specialists we recognise the need to support our partners to build homes across all tenures, particularly homes and care services for older people.