Globe News
New Wirral health centre officially opens its doors
11:47am Wednesday 22nd February 2012
A NEW state-of-the-art health centre has officially opened its doors in Wirral.
Built on the site of a former horticultural centre in Arrowe Park Road, Thingwall, the Warrens Health Centre sparked protests from nearby residents when plans for its construction were announced in 2009.
Surgeries from Thingwall, Heswall and Irby have moved into the building, meaning the 14,000 registered patients within West Wirral Group Practice will now receive treatment under one roof.
It will also provide new services available to patients from practices across the borough.
After years of searching for a suitable site, planning permission was granted to construct a new health centre on the site of the Warrens Nursery, a former horticultural centre owned and operated by Wirral council.
Ernest Hewitt, chair of the Patient Focus Group, was involved from the start with making vital decisions about the building of the new practice and attended the official opening on Saturday.
He said: "This new facility will enable the Practice doctors and nurses to offer a broader range of procedures, carried out in-house, thereby avoiding some hospital visits.
"Additionally, community trust facilities will be accommodated in the building and will become an integral part of the Centre."
Dr Alan Johnston, GP at the practice, added: "It has been fascinating to watch the progression of this structure from a simple architects drawing, to a hole in the ground and foundations, then to scaffolding and brick work and now the final building.
"It is all we had hoped for and more. With heart-felt thanks to the many who made this development a reality, West Wirral Group Practice now looks forward to a new and successful chapter in our wonderful new surgery."
Prior to its approval, six petitions were handed in to the planning committee with the names of more than 700 people objecting to the controversial scheme.
More than 600 letters were received in support of the plan.
Those against were concerned that the new development would be inaccessible to many, particularly the elderly, and will lead to traffic congestion, pollution and the loss of green belt land.