An MP has blasted a council’s objection to plans for a “vital” integrated health hub after the authority raised concerns it would cause “haphazard and illegal parking”.
Labour’s Polly Billington, who represents East Thanet, took to the floor in Parliament to say Kent County Council’s move “beggars belief”.
Polly Billington, MP for East Thanet, has called the council’s objection “spurious”
The NHS health hub in Broadstairs is currently awaiting a decision from Thanet District Council’s (TDC) planning department.
If approved, it would include GP surgery and same-day access to primary care, community services, district nursing and children’s services, diagnostic provision, including MRI scans, and voluntary sector services from Age UK.
The proposed site along Westwood Road, in the heart of the district, is claimed to be its most congested during rush hour, according to Kent County Council’s (KCC) highways department.
Accusing KCC of a “spurious” attempt to block the plans, Ms Billington said: “It beggars belief that KCC is tabling objections to this vital expansion of community health provision on the grounds of traffic congestion and parking when it is the Tory-controlled council that has overseen record cuts to bus services and an abject failure to maintain the quality of local roads.
“Thanet continues to exhibit some of the worst health outcomes in Kent, with life expectancy in Thanet lower than the national average.
“Meanwhile, local rates of conditions including heart disease, cancer, and chronic kidney disease are much worse than the south east average.
The hub would be in a former university building in Westwood Road, Broadstairs. Picture: Google
“Our new Labour government is taking action to tackle these inequalities, with KCC choosing to stand firmly in their way.
“With so many in our community unable to get a GP appointment or trapped on an NHS waiting list, I want to see this vital new health hub open for patients at the earliest opportunity, so we can ensure everyone in Thanet can once again access the quality healthcare they need and deserve.”
The proposed site for the service is the Carey Building, which was formerly part of Canterbury Christ Church University’s Broadstairs campus.
KCC Highways says the development does not include enough parking, which will lead to cars spilling out onto nearby roads.
In its travel plan for the scheme, Kent Community Health Foundation Trust, which would operate the hub, predicts 58 spaces will be filled at any one time, and plans to build 59.
But from its own calculations, KCC believes the actual number of cars at the facility would be 61.
In an objection submitted to TDC, it said: “Without sufficient parking, the application is likely to lead to inconsiderate, haphazard and illegal parking in the locality.
“Concerns remain as to how the number of staff will be accommodated and managed.
Polly Billington, MP for East Thanet, has hit out against Kent County Council
“KCC Highways has previously highlighted that Westwood Road is the worst congested road in Thanet in the morning peak, with pedestrians and cyclists accessing the schools, HGVs accessing the business parks as well as general traffic at Westwood.”
It added that there have been a number of recent crashes near the site, including one fatal and two serious incidents.
The objection continued: “Without the assurance of sufficient parking and management, concerns of the wider impact on the highway network remain.
“Inadequate parking means that patients will be forced to seek parking elsewhere in the locality, thus promoting the crossing of an extremely busy major distributor road at less than desirable crossing points.
“Therefore, I confirm that KCC Highways maintains the objection and recommends the application is refused on highway safety grounds.”
Dentistry is also being explored as future addition to the site
In total, the centre would offer primary care for 7,000 patients and up to 60,000 appointments a year, phased over five years.
Age UK is also expected to be involved on-site offering support with social work to “provide a holistic model for the integrated hub where clinical and voluntary services come together”.
There will be 36 consultation rooms across the building, mainly on the ground floor, including spaces for podiatry, phlebotomy, cardiology, paediatrics, counselling, treatment and respiratory care.
Dentistry provision is also being explored as a possible future addition to the site.
TDC planning officers have recommended the application be approved but deferred the application so that KCC’s issues with the travel plan can be resolved.