And Chris Black And Alistir Matthews Do As Well….

Also from the Echo

OPPOSITION is mounting over plans for a new health centre on green belt land in Rawreth. Rochford District Council has earmarked land in Rawreth for a new healthcare complex to serve new housing developments planned for the area. However, Lib Dem councillors claimed the site was unsuitable and called for a clinic to be built in Rayleigh town centre instead. Bosses at the primary care trust, NHS South East Essex, also joined in the debate and agreed the location put forward by the district council in its local development framework was not suitable.

Lib Dem leader Chris Black spoke out at a Rochford District Council west area committee meeting where NHS trust representatives were speaking about their five-year strategic plan. He said: ?It would be better to keep our GPs in the town centre and put this facility there.?…….

….. Rawreth Parish Council chairman, Alistir Matthews, added: ?We don?t think it makes sense to put it in Rawreth when you have Rayleigh, Hockley and Rochford. I urge the trust to look at another site.?

Margaret Hathaway, the trust?s associate director of commercial services, said: ?If there are houses being built, we must have the facilities to cater for them. ?An outreach centre with diagnostics in Rawreth isn?t suitable. ?But better sites are at a premium and there aren?t many sites around.? Residents have until April 10 to comment on the plans.

A couple of points:

  • Alistir Matthews is, of course, an independent councillor.
  • We very much welcome Maragaret Hathaway’s comments that ?An outreach centre with diagnostics in Rawreth isn?t suitable.”
  • The full article is here.

    About the author, admin

  • The HRA has long been making this point to both the PCT & RDC. Southend Hospital have also admitted that they wanted to open a clinic in Rawreth. Well done Chris for raising the profile of this issue.

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