PLANS have been revealed for the future of healthcare in Heywood.

Organisers hope a multi-million pound, ‘future-proof’ joint service centre will address the town’s health problems for decades to come.

Designs for the innovative new building have been submitted and will be considered by Heywood Township planning sub-committee in March.

The centre, to host a range of medical and council services, is to be built on a site adjacent to the Civic Centre and construction will be completed towards the end of 2009.

A list of services the centre will house has been drawn up, but the building has been designed in a way to allow flexibility and agencies involved are stressing that what is provided at the centre will adapt to meet the needs of the town.

The project is a culmination of a partnership between Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Primary Care Trust, Rochdale Council and Heywood NDC, which has given £3.5M in funding.

Community members have also been heavily involved in the plans and will continue to be consulted on decisions as construction progresses.

Vicki Devonport, chief executive of the NDC, said: "We are really excited about being able to submit the plans for this project.

"It has taken a lot of work from a lot of people and it is this partnership that has been crucial to the project’s success.

"We feel it is really enabling members of the community to influence the top level of services, which is great."

As yet plans are for the centre to include 28 health services, more than half of which are being transferred from Taylor Street.

Services such as community dentistry and physiotherapy are currently provided at the Taylor Street clinic, but there will also be provision for new services such as midwifery, a young persons’ clinic and sexual health.

Jo Purcell, executive director of strategy and partnerships at Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT, said: "The centre has been specifically designed to address the health needs of Heywood people and has long been needed."

The project, a joint venture with the PCT, Rochdale Council and the Eric Wright Group, has been funded with money from the NDC and is being delivered via a LIFT finance initiative, which are set up by the government to improve medical facilities in areas where they currently lack.

Susan Coates, resident director of the NDC and member of the project’s steering group, said: "I do really feel that we have been fully involved in the planning process and I am looking forward to working on it for years to come."

Township chairman Colin Lambert said: "The building is so well-designed that it will serve us for the next 25 years without needing repeated funding.

"This is a coup for the town. The community of Heywood will have a say in the services they want. It is another example of us getting the devolved powers we want instead of being run from Rochdale."

FUTURE-PROOF: The joint service centre will be up-and-running by the end of 2009 HE06x08 centre HE06x08 centre1