Health centre lined up for old shop parade
A COMMUNITY health centre is set to be built on the site of a derelict shopping parade which is to be demolished later this year.
Riverside Health Centre, which will accommodate two GP practices, will replace the former food bank at Mocha Parade in Lower Broughton.
Salford council’s planning panel has now approved an application to build the three-storey health centre and construction could be complete by late 2022.
Another planning application to demolish the rest of Mocha Parade and build a new Lidl supermarket is expected to be decided by the council in the summer.
The new health centre will serve 13,000 patients, bringing together Mocha Parade Medical Practice and Lower Broughton Health Centre, as well as accommodating other health services from the Salford Royal NHS trust.
Plans also include three retail units which will be ‘exclusively’ offered to the local pharmacy market, including those previously located at Mocha Parade.
Any unlet units will be offered to other healthcare providers at a later stage.
The planning panel was told of some changes made to the original plans, including new trees to be planted in the area fronting Great Clowes Street.
The shopping parade in Lower Broughton Road, which is now empty, is located on the banks of the River Irwell and was hit by the Boxing Day floods in 2015.
Labour councillor Derek Antrobus described the plans for the new health centre as ‘splendid’, but said he was ‘very anxious’ about the risk of flooding.
He said: “The site hasn’t been doing much for the community for many, many years and one of the difficulties with the redevelopment of this site has been the flood risk, so I’m very, very pleased about all the work that’s being done and I know there’s been an incredible amount of detailed work that’s been done to mitigate the flood risk.”
Planning officer Adele Stewart confirmed emergency planners are involved in discussions about flood risk on the site and conditions have been agreed.
The planning application was submitted by consultants Castle Gate Projects.
The building will be owned by a new company formed between a funder, who has already been identified, and the GP practices, according to Salford CCG.
An underwrite agreement is now being drawn up for the development costs.
The Lower Broughton Health Centre will remain in Great Clowes Street until the new health centre is complete, which is expected to be by early 2023.